Justice
by Black' Victor Cachat
Summary: Dealing with villains is all part of being a superhero, the Justice League knows this. So how do they handle the new supervillain gang that can't decide whether they're good or evil? And said gang, the Straw Hat Pirates, are just desperate to get home to fulfil their dreams, whatever it takes. And they have no problems with fighting more believers in 'Justice' along the way
1. The Heroes

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

Additional credit to MasterQwerster for being the one to create this wonderful story image!

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Justice

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Chapter 1: The Heroes

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 **Unlike my previous crossovers, this story is meant to be serious, and not a crackfic.**

 **I got this idea from watching some One Piece where the CP9 people and marines were yelling about striving to bring about "justice," and I was thinking about how the World Government uses that word to rationalize everything they do, and I started thinking about how the Straw Hats would actually react to meeting more people who honestly believed in justice. Note that in the Navy, marines who both have noteworthy clout and scruples are in the minority, like Smoker for example.**

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"So why're we both here, Perry?" Lois Lane demanded as soon as she stepped into her editor's office.

Truthfully, Clark Kent, her fellow reporter for the _Daily Planet_ newspaper, was a little nervous about her coming along. Unlike her, he had a better idea of what they were about to get into, and there were still a few mysteries about this upcoming assignment that bothered him. Still, he trusted Batman's intel, and while Lois was smart and resourceful on her own, he would be there to protect her if necessary.

Having Clark Kent alongside the tough-minded and fiery woman seemed far from reassuring to most, except Clark went to a lot of effort to make people underestimate him. Clothing always slight wrinkled, a habitual slouch that made him appear smaller and slightly overweight, dull glasses that slightly changed the tint of his eyes, and a carefully cultivated air that made people ignore him unless he was firing off piercing and insightful questions as a reporter. Yet underneath that well-made yet unimaginative suit was the red and blue uniform of Superman, the world's mightiest hero.

Gruffly, Editor-in-Chief Perry White put down some papers he was holding to explain. "I want the two of you to check out a new company that's come out in the last year: Cherry Blossom Medical. The reason I want the two of you is because Kent's sources have brought up a few questions."

Lois frowned in thought at the name. "I've been hearing about them a lot lately, now that I think about it. They're making a lot of breakthroughs in medicine, aren't they? Weird logo for a medical company though, a skull and crossbones with pink blossoms all over it."

Adjusting his glasses, Clark nodded. "Yes, but despite that marketing issue, they're getting huge business thanks to their developments all across the medical field. Especially in terms of surgery, pharmacology, vaccinations, and salves that cure regular injuries at a staggering rate. According to my sources," a.k.a. Batman, "they're also selling their products at less than most companies would, despite how people would be willing to pay a lot more for them. Of course, since it's so popular and cheap, they're still making a lot of money, and growing very fast."

"Alright," and then she smiled at Clark, "so what's the catch, Smallsville? What're they hiding?"

"That's what you're going to find out," Perry declared, "especially with what _else_ Kent has to say."

Lois stopped for a moment in thought. "It's something to do with Lex Luthor, isn't it? That many advances from one company, and being so charitable and all."

"Try to be more objective, Lane," Perry warned. "Luthor's not responsible for everything. But no, and in a way it's actually even more suspicious because of that."

"Lots of companies, including both Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp, have been trying to buy the company," Clark explained, "except none of them have been successful."

"Alright," Lois agreed with raised eyebrows, "that is suspicious. I know Bruce Wayne's smart and got good people working for him, and if they think it would be a good deal, they'd do all they could to get a hold of Cherry Blossom. Just legally. But keeping Lex out!? How're they doing that!?"

Unspoken between Lois and Clark was the knowledge, loathe as they were to admit it, that Lex was absolutely brilliant, and if the multi-billionaire thought Cherry Blossom was a good deal, then they should probably think of investing in stock themselves. But what was very surprising was the megalomaniac had failed. The man was very skilled at _convincing_ people that they should 'cooperate' with him. He would use bribery, blackmail, threats, violence, whatever it took to get them where they were vulnerable.

Not that they had ever proven anything.

"We'll find out whatever it is, Chief," Lois promised.

"See that you do."

"But why isn't Jimmy," their main photographer, "here?"

The older man coughed awkwardly at that. "There's some other photos I want him to catch, yet I also thought it would be best not to have pictures this time, might distract from the Daily Planet's image," he explained as he hunted for a particular piece of paper. "The main staff don't get out in public much, but here's a photo of Dr. Nami Mikan," and he showed Lois the image.

"…No way those are real."

 **!JUSTICE!**

It was an almost surreal sight.

The sun was bearing down on an unusually hot day, traffic was backed up for blocks to get onto the bridge, but everyone was patiently waiting. Some of the cars just joining the line started angrily honking their horns, until those ahead of them popped their heads out of the window to calmly explain and/or point at a distinctive green glow that would settle everyone down as they realized who was responsible for the delay.

They trusted the hero to have a good reason, and know what he was doing.

John Stewart, or as he was more commonly known, Green Lantern, flew back a few more meters to survey his work. The African-American ex-marine turned space cop had been flying home, wanting nothing more than his bed, when out of the corner of the eye he had caught something wrong with the bridge. A quick inspection revealed that one side of it over the water, blocked from most viewpoints by trees or from facing the ocean, was starting to look a little unstable. Maybe it would have been safe to wait a few more hours, except it would have been criminal to take the risk. Never mind supervillains or alien invasions destabilizing it, what if an earthquake happened?

A little work via his power ring, creating green constructs to act as the necessary tools, and it was looking much better now. He waved to the people watching in their cars (he had blocked traffic from getting on for a few minutes to be safe, but none of them seemed to mind) and flew off. _I'll find out who's responsible for this and let them know exactly what I did so they can double-check tomorrow. They were probably sending someone any day now, but this is safer and saves tax payers money. And if they weren't on the ball after all, then it'll serve as a polite wake-up call. I'll still check them out later, and get Batman to help me go through their records to make sure this isn't the result of shoddy work to pay off any kickbacks_ , he grimly promised.

 **!JUSTICE!**

From the very start Clark was nervous, and glad he had his Superman costume on underneath his suit.

"Doesn't look like much," Lois noted, taking in the generic, yet newly constructed building. "For an up and coming company, they sure aren't worried about public image."

 _No_ , Clark thought _, but I'd say they are worried about people spying on them, given how the walls are lined with lead_. His X-ray vision was useless here.

They went in to see the receptionist, who verified that they had an appointment, although then the pretty woman took a furtive glance around before leaning towards Lois. "The CEO, he's just all talk, alright? Never touches anyone, and will back off if you tell him to." Before they could ask any questions, she called the CEO to say that two reporters from the _Daily Planet_ were here, and the cheerful voice told them to come right in.

"Well helloooooo~! It's such a pleasure to graced by the enchanting presence of _the_ Lois Lane~!" the man behind the desk cried out, before swooping out to appear before her with a variety of cups on a tray, extended with an exaggerated flourish. "Something to drink~?"

Despite the tantalizing aromas, Lois tightly refused. The way the man looked her over making her feel slimy.

"Uhm, I'd—" Clark began.

"I wasn't talking to you!" the blonde man snapped, grinding on his cigarette, before throwing a lustful look back at Lois. "Can we start the interview please?" she coldly asked.

"Why of course~!" and the supposed CEO all but danced backwards to pull out a seat for Lois. There was none for Clark.  
"We'll stand and you can sit," she told him, and he agreeably took a seat behind his desk. "Sanji Kuroashi at your service. You can call me Sanji, Lois~!" he beamed, before glowering at Clark. "Mr. Kuroashi for you, and don't forget it!"

 _Unbelievable_ , Lois thought. _This guy can't be in charge! They'd never get anything done. . . . No, alright, calm down. It could be an act. Maybe even probably, given how over-the-top it is. If I have to, I'll just turn on the charm with him, telling Smallsville to give us some space. If all else fails, I hit him and scream while Clark gets the police to lock this creep up._

Privately, Clark was vowing to never leave this man alone with Lois, no matter what she said. He was far too dangerous, and not in the way she was probably thinking.

At first glance, Mr. Kuroashi, if that was his real name, had a thin yet wiry build which implied he kept himself in shape, if only casually. Kryptonian X-ray vision however revealed that like his friend Bruce, the Batman, there was more here than met the eye, but on a greater scale. There was a staggering physique compacted under that skin.

Powerful, wiry muscles that were beyond anything a human could naturally develop. The more that he examined them, the more Clark felt they were more like his own in terms of scale, especially the leg muscles. He had only seen such development in the Flash. No, there was no doubt that Kuroashi was a meta-human, and one with incredible strength.

Given the hints of secrecy and his behaviour, it was very possible Kuroashi was also a _dangerous_ meta-human.

"I can't place your accent," Lois began, deciding to lead with some easy questions. "I'd almost swear it was Japanese, but I'm not sure. Where are you from?" Especially since the man sported clearly Caucasian features and hair colour.

"Wherever you want me to be from," Kuroashi said with transparent effort to appear seductive. He then paused to pull out another cigarette to light it.

"You smoke that inside?" Lois noted with some surprise. While she was not one to judge on such a thing, it was something generally considered as unprofessional. _Although what about him_ is _professional? Except for that suit. I admit it is pretty classy. Just about the only good thing about him._

"Why not?" he shrugged while retaining his 'suave' smile, his blond hair still covering his right eye. "I'm the boss here after all."

"Your name, 'Kuroashi,' that's Japanese for 'Black Leg' or 'Black Foot,' isn't it?" Clark said, having picked up a little of the language.

"Maybe, what's it matter?" Kuroashi growled.

Deciding that beating around the bush was getting nowhere, Lois switched to the offensive. "It's really amazing what you've done with this company, Sanji," she said with the slightest flutter of her eyelashes. Surprisingly, the man became more serious.

"I'm just handling the business side of things, and part time at that. This is really a favour for my friend, who's the real expert. His dream is to find a cure for all of the world's illnesses."

"So you're doing it to make the world a better place?" Lois sweetly asked, noting how the CEO had said "his dream," while Dr. Mikan was a woman.

"Well, it's good publicity, and keeping prices low makes it more appealing for most people," the CEO countered with a small grin. Surprisingly, once he was focused on this new topic, he almost seemed suave. "That means people are more willing to try our products out, and then find out how superior we are. Give us enough time," his smile turning into a smirk, "we'll put all of the other companies out of business, and be able to expand our operations further."

"And then you'll raise your prices?" Lois accused.

"Oh no, Lois!" he cried out, looking both horrified at upsetting her and infatuated. "I'd never do something like that if it'd offend you! Our prices will continue to remain low!"

"But how did you achieve such breakthroughs," Clark interjected, hoping to rile the man up by 'interfering' between him and Lois again. It made people sloppy. Contrarily, the blonde kept his cool, his smile widening out of pride.

"That's because we've got the best doctor in whole world working here."

He answered a few more questions in a calm, comfortable manner, yet the veteran reporters were not fooled. Not only was he carefully avoiding giving any more solid details, there was an air of rehearsal to this. As if he were playing a role he had practiced for, as opposed to genuinely being a CEO. Granted, he had said he was not really into this, but given the massive amount of money the company was making, and his wannabe-playboy demeanor, such altruism was harder to swallow.

However, Lois also realized he was procrastinating. "Could we perhaps meet with Dr. Mikan?"

"Certainly!" and the maniac edge had returned to Sanji Kuroashi. Pushing a speed-dial button on his desk phone, he quickly crooned out, "Nami-swaaaaan~! Those reporters would like to speak with you~!"

"Be there in a minute!" a bright young voice answered back, yet Clark caught the same accent. _Japanese too. Hmm, 'mikan' means 'tangerine,' right?_

 **!JUSTICE!**

As much as she wanted to make them suffer, Princess Diana, Wonder Woman, kept herself in check as she tied the scum up to a handy pole with strips of metal she casually bent in her hands.

 _Some of those girls aren't even ten!_ she silently snarled to herself as she struggled to keep her face a mask.

Hollow-eyed, they were huddled behind her, desperately trying to make themselves small enough that she might not see them. Afraid that this violent newcomer was but one more in a chain of abusers. Violators. Owners.

It was the ones with rage and pain in their eyes that concerned Diana however.

 _They know they're being rescued, and want to use this chance to hurt their captors. Not just kill them,_ hurt _them. Torture them to make them feel the sort of pain they've been forced through. But if I let them do that, let them give in to that sort of violence, it'll only be harder for them to come back._

 _They might_ think _it'll give them closure, but that's not what we can allow ourselves to teach the children. The ones who will inherit this world._

Millennia ago, before isolating themselves from the world and guarding the gate to Tartarus, Diana's mother and sister Amazons had been subjected to enslavement, rape, murder, and torment at the hands of men, and it was on days like this she wondered if anything had really changed in Man's World. _But it must, because there is so much potential for good in all of them. That's why it's up to us to protect them from the monsters, and help them heal from the violations and sufferings inflicted upon them, by those who think they can do whatever they wish._

No matter how much it pained Diana to hold back against these human traffickers. Suppressing her own desire to wreak vengeance in the girls' place. And yes, her own mother and sisters had rebelled and killed their own enslavers, except that was a different time, and not the world she was trying to help build here and now; not only one where this sort of thing did not happen, but one where death was not answered by death. Yes, sometimes it was the only solution, yet that did not mean she wanted to teach it to a bunch of young girls. It became a trap that was too easy to fall into…

 _For if we want to change the world, then we've got to hold ourselves to that same standard, to prove that change_ is _possible. Or as my mother always said, 'Lead by example, or they will not follow.'_

 **!JUSTICE!**

While an attractive, smart, and independent woman in her own right, Lois Lane was finding herself having a tough time believing the same of Dr. Nami Mikan from the moment she sauntered into the room. And no, Lois did not miss how Smallsville's gaze snapped to the woman's oversized bust.

It was not jealousy or disbelief that any woman could be both a brilliant scientist and attractive; the veteran reporter simply had a hard time believing that this vision of beauty spent any time doing hard work of any kind. Her waist-length fiery red hair shone with a healthy gleam that bespoke meticulous and time consuming care. While she wore a lab coat over everything, Lois found it hard to believe that someone supposedly working with chemicals and medical instruments would wear a _very_ high skirt, and her very low and exposing frilled dark blouse was open nearly all the way, displaying her massive and obviously silicone cleavage. _Does she even have a bra on!?_

Then she caught the woman's eyes, and recognized them from her own reflection.

 _No_ , Lois knew. _She might be a fraud –what kind of self-respecting scientist would dress like that!?— but she's not just some vapid exhibitionist_. Dr. Mikan gave her and Clark a quick once-over, but in a way that Lois knew was to judge their own reactions. Subtle calculations directed towards deciphering the reporters' own intentions, and not in a cynical manner either. This was not a woman who dressed herself up for the sake of the men in her life, nor for their attention. She dressed as she wanted, because it was her body and she looked _glorious_ like this.

 _This is a woman who's used to getting what she wants, and isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to get it. For all that she dresses like that, I doubt she's into casual romance. I'm still going to chew Clark up for staring at her chest however. Ugh, he's still glued to it._

 **!JUSTICE!**

Dr. Jonathan fiddled with his sleeve as he prepared to begin his rounds, looking forward to his newest shift. There were always patients to help at Central City Hospital, but things here were a lot calmer these days, without anything truly serious for a while.

Then he was hauled off his feet and his surroundings blurred around him. Blinking he found himself suddenly in the emergency room, a pair of children stretched out before him, heavily burnt and— a quick check confirmed they were not breathing.

Leaping into action, the doctor raced to save them, assistants and medical instruments appearing around him in flashes of red.

An eternity later, the exhausted medical doctor walked out of the room, finding a man in a full-body skintight red suit anxiously tapping his foot. "They're going to be okay, Flash. You got them the help they needed just in time," he addressed Central City's beloved hero.

With a sigh of relief, the Flash, secretly Wally West, allowed himself to relax. While many called him the 'Fastest Man Alive,' Dr. Jonathan had always privately referred to him as the 'Friendliest Man Alive,' always looking out to help people, and connect with them. "There's new treatments we've started by Cherry Blossom Medical that should keep them from getting any scars. But what happened to them?"

"Big fire in an apartment complex," Flash explained, while an orderly diligently came up with a cart laden down with food. Brightening up a little, the speedster immediately began shovelling down food to appease his hyper metabolism. Continuing, "I think it was someone smoking indoors or something, and it got out of control." Wiping his face, Flash finished off the massive meal, and started towards the door with a determined stride.

"The children'll want to thank you when they come to," Jonathan called after him.

"I'll be back later, I've got to take care of something else first."

"What?"

Preparing for a massive run, the Flash shot a look back. "Putting smoke alarms in every household and apartment in the city, and checking the batteries of those that're already there."

"Wait!"

Braking, Flash stumbled for a moment, before turning back to see the doctor and orderly pulling out their wallets. "The fire department will probably cover the expense, but here's some to help pay for it all," Jonathan grimly yet sincerely offered.

Seeing the speedster smile again was infectious for the whole hospital.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Clark could not take his x-ray vision off Dr. Mikan's breasts.

First of all, he had discovered that despite how oversized they were, particularly for someone whose waistline was so thin, they were –somehow— indeed 100% natural.

Second, like the rest of her body, they were still hiding stuff.

Specifically, crammed between the massive pair was a baton made up of strange and unrecognizable technology, as well as an assortment of other objects.

Moreover, while nowhere in the same class as Sanji Kuroashi, her seemingly flawless body concealed a coiled physique that would put a Navy SEAL to shame.

While she might present herself as a beautiful scientist, this woman could doubtlessly run faster and hit harder than any non-Amazonian Human woman Clark had ever met. Instinctively he knew that this was the result of hard training, born from a desire to survive whatever the world could throw at her. _What made such a woman feel the need to develop a body like that?_

 _I don't want to leave either of these people alone with Lois,_ each of whom had discrete ear pieces hidden by their hair, _but if we leave now, we might tip them off. Not to mention I'll never be able to convince her to get out of here!_ Her courage, despite being so fragile, was one of the things he so loved about Lois. And while it was not a reckless, foolhardy courage, there was nothing he could use to justify why he thought she was in danger.

 _These people are more than they seem, and they're both fighters. How far would they go to protect their secrets?_

Clark glanced at Kuroashi and gave a gulp that was only half-faked. The man was evidently trying to set the reporter on fire with his eyes, visibly struggling to resist the urge to say something or attack. _He's jealous? But while he's also treating Lois that way?_ Clark let a hint of contempt show in his eyes. _Shameful._

 **!JUSTICE!**

Shayera Hol, known to the people of Earth as Hawkgirl, gently laid the kitten into the arms of elderly woman. "Hopefully he's learned not to climb trees anymore," she smiled. Then she gently spreading the feathered wings on her back to take off, making sure to not disturb the grateful senior with a gust of wind.

While still vigilantly keeping an eye out as she performed a random patrol, Shayera took a moment to breath in the peace of this planet. A peace that her fellow Thangarians had not known for far too long. _And it'll stay that way!_ she vowed. _These people will never have to grow up knowing threats like the Gordanians!_

That was why she was here after all. Why High Command had sent such a skilled lieutenant and former instructor in espionage to infiltrate this world with the mission of determining Earth's weaknesses in case the Gordanians attacked them. When she had first arrived, so far away from the front lines of the seemingly endless war and its atrocities, she had been skeptical that the fighting would reach here. As time had passed, and particularly after joining with her fellow defenders and heroes to repel the Imperium Invasion, she had discovered many things that might attract the Gordanians and their depravity.

Technology and people with powers to fuel their war machines. Innocents that the Gordanians would torture for the sheer joy of it.

Yet as Hawkgirl, she was also finding a sense of peace that she had never known growing up on a world geared for a seemingly endless war. As a hero, she struck out with her Nth-mace to capture, not to kill. She worked to help the weak that the cold practicalities of warfare had often forced her to reluctantly overlook. With the Justice League she had found friends she could trust and depend on.

Despite the lies she had to tell, it was her personal pride and pleasure to serve these people and protect them. Even better, as a member of the Justice League she was in the perfect position to do so. Either from the villains of this world, or from the Gordanians should they ever appear.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Lois and Dr. Mikan ignored Clark who was following behind them for the tour, with Mr. Kuroashi picking up the rear. "How do you stand working with that guy?" Lois bit off, hoping to provoke a reaction. Plus, she was genuinely curious as to why this sharp-eyed woman endured all of that depraved attention. . . . _She probably abuses it to get whatever she wants._

"Sanji's not so bad," Dr. Mikan lightly defended. _So, on first name's basis_ , Lois noted. "For all that he acts, he's a gentleman to the core," the redhead continued. "Mostly. At the very least, a lady can always feel safe around him. Which is more than you can say about most men."

The incredulously raised eyebrow Lois gave was ignored, and Dr. Mikan went on to explain her work and what her current projects were. While it did not seem rehearsed like Kuroashi's commentary, it was still hard for the reporter to swallow, unless . . . "You use the treatments yourself, don't you?" she asked.

"You're a smart one, aren't you," winked Dr. Mikan, while holding up one flawless hand. "Otherwise I'd have a lot more scars and weathered skin. It's really a miracle worker!"

"Is that why you invented them?"  
"No," the scientist reassured her, before acting more serious. "There was a doctor a while back, everyone thought he was a quack for all of his experiments, but he genuinely wanted to heal all of the world's illnesses." She gestured around. "He's the inspiration for this place. The cosmetic applications were solely intended for mental health. For people to feel better about themselves."

Mollified, Lois asked some more questions, but could not shake the feeling that she was missing something. Something big. Perhaps related to why Clark seemed edgier than usual . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later that afternoon

"Well?" Batman bluntly asked once he sensed Superman behind him, the darkness of the Batcave enfolding around them.

Unfazed at being detected despite his silent flight over to the Batcomputer, Clark had already removed his glasses and donned his superhero costume. He gave a small smile to his friend, the billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, but really the fearsome Batman. "And hello to you too."

"Out with it, Clark," Batman snapped, noting the slight hints of concern in his frie—teammate. Teammate was the word.

"The entire building's laced with lead," much like the Batcave for that matter, "so they're definitely hiding something. Especially the top people there."

He went on to give his report.

Finally, "So what got you so interested in them that you sent me and Lois to look at them in the first place? Why haven't you gone yourself? Is there something illegal or dangerous in the drugs and medicine they're selling?"

"Nothing so straightforward," his friend denied, except Clark could hear the slight touch of annoyance. "Their company _is_ selling multiple ground breaking advances that cover the entire medical field. Experts have also confirmed that they are selling them at less than they could actually charge if they wanted too."

 _He's frustrated that he can't figure it out, especially not on his own_ , Clark concluded. "And it really is ground breaking? Nothing sinister with the medicine itself?"  
"I have some in the cave myself." Which, from the posterchild of paranoia, was high praise indeed.

Clark took a moment to think about it a little bit more. "Alright, and you got suspicious when Lex Luthor couldn't make them knuckle under?"

"Partially," the detective conceded, "but at first that was easy enough to explain. They are making enough money already that they might not feel tempted to be bought out. Also, there is little known about the CEO or Dr. Mikan for someone to dig up any dirt," Clark raised an eyebrow at this curious detail. The man known by some as The Detective had not found anything?

"They have no known acquaintances to coerce, and the level of security they maintain would make them difficult to intimidate. So Luthor's failings so far were understandable."

"No details whatsoever?"

"Nothing useful. Even 'Doctor' Mikan's credentials are faked, appearing only on record. No one from her supposed graduation remembers her." And a woman like that they certainly would have. The men at least. "However, that did not change the fact the work they are doing is beneficial."

 _And his own father was a billionaire who wanted nothing more than to be a family man and a doctor,_ Clark knew. Then something finally clicked into place. "If what they're hiding is nothing too serious, you're wondering about the possibility of the League working with them. Working to help improve their medical innovations with our own technology, and distributing it to the places around the world that need it more." Then he scowled. "You sent Lois in because you wanted the CEO off-guard," Batman was unrepentant, "and you wanted my original and unbiased impressions of them, so I could get a feel for them, while you do your own quiet investigation."

"More or less," the World's Greatest Detective said with a touch of approval at the deduction his teammate had accomplished. "But yes," straight to business. "I wanted your assessment of them before Superman approached them. People trust you more."

 _You wanted to help us develop a good relationship with them, to help so many more people, but you can't just say it, can you Bruce?_ Clark ruefully thought. _You're paranoid as they come, but you've got a_ reason _to be, with what we deal with. Yet despite it all, you wouldn't be wearing that cowl if you didn't believe in a better world. If you weren't still capable of seeing the good in it._

Then something else occurred to him. "But you didn't know the CEO was a meta, did you? So then what was it that made you concerned enough to send me in as an investigator, and not Superman? Or with the rest of the League?"

"Before I found out that they're lying about who they are, Fox and the lawyers at Wayne Enterprises brought to my attention that there are discrepancies in their finances," Batman growled. "A lot of their profits go back into safe investments, including building up their own business more so they can produce more and make more money, with only a fraction of those profits going unaccounted for. But given how widespread and popular their products are, they are raking in a lot of cash, so that small fraction is still worth a lot. Money even I can't trace."

He pulled up a spreadsheet, and when Clark saw the total sum of profits, his eyebrows raised at the number of digits making up the total amount of money that was missing. "I see what you mean. So you're worried the company is hiding something darker?"

"Exactly. Alfred suggested it might be for some medical project they want to keep secret from their competitors," which meant that a small part of Bruce had also hoped that if he had brought it up, "but now we know they're likely experimenting on manufacturing meta-humans!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

J'onn J'onzz, the last surviving Martian and now the Martian Manhunter of the Justice League strode along the monitor room of the Watchtower, the Justice League's headquarters orbiting the Earth.

 _It is a fine team we've assembled, and we've already accomplished so much together._

Some days they seemed to just spend their time up to their necks in pointless violence, dealing with those consumed by greed, violence, or both. Yet J'onn swore to never falter in protecting his newfound home from devastation. Never again.

Moreover, there were so many wonders to discover, like the mission they had just finished where they had discovered an invisible and technologically advanced city run by intelligent gorillas. Despite the danger they had faced –or the beating J'onn had endured by the misguided locals—that had been a fascinating experience, and the celebrations once the city had been saved had been very pleasant.

No, J'onn was proud to be a defender of humanity and all other inhabitants of Earth, and had been ever since they had first all assembled at his telepathic summons a little over a year ago.

Superman. The alien with the powers of a god, but at heart remained a farm boy from Kansas, ready to do anything for the world he loved.

Batman. The man who had turned his pain and grief into a fire that had forged him to the peak of human ability, dedicated to ensuring that no one else would die on his watch.

Hawkgirl. The winged police officer who had been transported to Earth against her will. While she might tend to resort to hitting first and asking questions later (or leaving it to Batman to do the latter), she was relentless and uncompromising in her defence of the innocent.

Wonder Woman. The privileged princess who had refused to abandon the rest of humanity in its hour of need.

The Flash. The speedster who appeared to be an immature goofball, until you saw the purity that had led him to use his powers for the sake of others.

Green Lantern. The space cop, armed with what was regarded as the most powerful weapon in the universe. Unflinching in his resolve to uphold the law, even at personal cost.

The sun peeked over the horizon as the Earth continued to revolve, and J'onn smiled at the sight. _Today is a good day._

 **!JUSTICE!**

Clark made his way through a few more of Bruce's investigative reports, finding the information fascinating, while searching for a less sinister motive for what appeared to be such a charitable company. "It's not like making meta-humans is specifically illegal," he reasoned. "It's more a matter of human rights, and Kuroashi and Mikan could have gotten theirs some other way."

"If they're working in secret, it's probably not for any reason we'll appreciate," Bruce snapped. "And they're people with super-powers delving into human biology. We've got to confirm what they're up to, or else we might find ourselves dealing with all manner of trouble. Crime bosses trying to buy powers, or some overzealous military general wanting to 'make America strong again' or something worse."

Looking through the list of the company's products and their benefits, Clark paused as something occurred to him. "If they're making multiple advances throughout the entire medical field, where are they getting this sort of knowledge? Is it actual research, or are they getting it from another source? Although, if it was that, they wouldn't want to advertise it with huge, public company like they're doing."

With a sour grunt, Batman addressed those issues. "Yes, and they're particularly making progress in terms of surgery, pharmacology, vaccinations, and salves that cure regular injuries at a staggering rate. Even cosmetics that make scars fade away. If they're doing research, it would be incredibly expensive to cover such a diverse range, so it must be multiple large projects, and they need lots of funding, except off the books. Or they found some source of knowledge from an advanced alien race or something," while Clark had initially been confident the two he had seen were human, suddenly he was not so sure, "and just got greedy."

"No, they still wouldn't want to advertise what they've got if they have an ulterior motive," Clark argued. "If it's some medical databank or something, it's possible they're just using it to enhance themselves, and they need the money to uncover more secrets."

In their world, an uncovered alien database was _far_ from an unreasonable theory.

"And none of this explains why they are selling for such a reduced cost. If it was pure research, they could've approached any number of backers, including Lex. Instead, they're keeping it to themselves while still working to help people. Why?"

"That's what I'm going to find out tonight," Bruce growled as he pulled the cowl over his face. "I'm going to their headquarters to get some answers."

"Not without back-up you're not," Superman declared, stepping in his friend's way.

"The building is lead lined. You'll be a worthless spy."

"Humor me. Besides, if they really are a threat to the people they claim to be helping, I want to be the one to punch Mr. Kuroashi after the way he treated Lois."

Batman just grunted, but Clark interpreted it as agreement. Neither of them said anything of how they both knew it would be necessary for the Dark Knight to have some more muscle around if the people protecting the building were more than he could handle.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Getting past the first layer of security had been harder than it should have been for a mere corporate building. _Obviously someone's personally gone around covering up whatever holes in the system they can find_ , Batman's practiced eye assessed. _It's like breaking into LexCorp_. And just like with Luthor's company, it was critical he went unseen. Besides, if these people _were_ actually on the level, there was no need to breed mistrust between them.

Batman made his way inside. Dodging guards, and hacking door codes, he made it to the main lab. It was suspiciously clean of anything incriminating, which was unsurprising. In Batman's experience, even the legitimate scientists had little, harmless things they kept quiet. Here, there was nothing to show it had ever really been used. Just props so it looked like this was the place where the medical magic happened.

Doubling back, he slipped into the security room to study where the cameras were and were not focused on. Wherever they were hiding their secrets, the CEO and Dr. Mikan would want a location that surveillance would pick up someone approaching the entrance. At the same time, they would want their real lab placed in a blindspot where no one would see anything incriminating.

After he had determined where that was, it was the work of a moment to cause a momentary 'technical problem' to the relevant cameras. He slipped by them, and found the concealed elevator to take a ride down. After of course he disabled the alarm that would notify whomever was below that there was an unexpected arrival.

The next levels of security, getting into the sealed off basement, were far, far harder. Whoever had done so was obviously the careful sort with the level of steps taken –the kind that made others call Batman 'paranoid' when _he_ did it, even though it was so obvious that people _were_ out to get him— to keep people out. Going right through the door was too risky, and he was wary about the other alarms on the door, as if a secondary access code was needed to get out, and this one was too secure to readily hotwire.

Still, this was the Dark Knight they were dealing with.

Slipping out of the roof hatch, his miniature laser quickly burned a hole through the wall above the elevator, discreetly avoiding the alarms there. A little cosmetic work while sealing it back up, and only a close inspection would reveal what had happened. Then he cut and dug his way through the wall and dirt to the side of the elevator shaft until he found the ventilation system. _An independent system right within their inner compound, 'safely' behind all of the other defenses, so they didn't see any point in putting security in here_ , he mentally chastised as one professional to another. The Batcave was far more secure.

Looking through the air vents, he determined that what appeared to be the _real_ main lab was empty. Soundlessly, he dropped down to investigate.

He took in the large room that was decidedly not on the blueprints, the reinforced ceiling, and all of the expensive equipment, and smirked.

 _I could arrest them all just for illegal construction._

 **!JUSTICE!**

"So how're they really doing," asked a concerned Flash, back in Central City Hospital, gesturing towards the room where the two kids from yesterday were sleeping after a visit from their rescuer.

"They'll be fine," she assured him. "They're responding well, and that new medicine is already taking care of the scars. With a little luck, they'll never even know they had them."

"Alright! Great! Thanks!" and with a skip to his feet, he started off down the hallway.

"Oh, and Flash!" the nurse called after him.

"Yeah?" he said, shooting the pretty lady a bright smile.

"Thanks for the smoke detector."

 **!JUSTICE!**

 _Strange_ , Batman thought as he looked over the current project in what appeared to be the real medical lab for this place.

It appeared to be a variant of the company's medical compounds to stop internal bleeding while promoting recovery, except that according to the notes it appeared to be a far stronger version. In fact, the amount of trauma needed to require something like this would kill a normal man twenty times over. _For super-soldiers maybe?_ But then he turned to what was truly perplexing about the lab setup: whomever it was for, they were too small.

Table and chair height, location of the various instruments, etcetera. Batman had trouble believing that whoever was creating all of these ground-breaking medical discoveries was taller than his knee. _Still, in this world that isn't that unusual. And it does confirm that 'Doctor' Mikan is not the one behind all of this._

Quietly he took out a miniature camera from his utility belt to copy everythi—

His shoulder cracked as he flew into the far wall, his other arm clutching his screaming ribs.

"I don't remember giving you an invitation," someone politely noted.

Batman forced his head up to see the CEO lowering his leg, having evidently kicked him all the way over. "Mr. Sanji Kuroashi," he grunted, stalling for time. _Too strong, and I never heard him coming. That fast, or that stealthy?_

"I prefer Black Foot Sanji," the man corrected, casually making his way over.

From another room, three more figures emerged: Dr. Mikan, still in what was evidently her costume, and a long-nosed young man with thick, curly hair. The third newcomer was clearly a meta, alien, or engineered animal. A head taller than Batman, a squat body, a wide head and no neck, giving the overall impression of looking like a pill. There were small antlers on its head, and hooves on its short but clearly muscular arms and legs, giving a clear impression that the strange creature meant business. Yet all of them clearly deferred to 'Black Foot Sanji,' who continued to advance and talk. "Mind telling us what you're doing here?"

"I wanted to see if this place was too good to be true," Batman growled. "Guess it is."

Shrugging, Black Foot pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a lighter. "Sorry, but yeah, we're not just a medical facility."

"So I figured. Nice skull and crossbones," and Batman gestured with his chin at the wall visible through the doorway behind the newcomers, ignoring the screams of pain his body was sending him.

"It's a copy of our Jolly Roger!" the furry one yelled indignantly. "Our Pirate Flag! We're the Straw Hat Pirates, and you'd better not have messed with my work!"

"Pirates, you say?" Batman said conversationally, his fingers having finished inching towards a certain device on his belt. Still, if they were willing to be so talkative, and thought him helpless . . . "I must say, I'm impressed, I would not have expected such brilliant work from pirates. Which one of you is the one actually responsible for your medical work?"

"Oh!" cried the animal-like one, wiggling its body in some sort of dance while visibly blushing beneath its (male? His?) thick fur. "Don't think I'll forgive you for breaking in here if you call me brilliant! Idiot! Loser!"

"Uhm, we really don't want him breaking in here," the long-nosed one deadpanned, while the other two gave small sighs of exasperation. Catching the steely looks on the faces of 'Dr. Mikan' and Black Foot, Batman decided they were too clever for him to risk stalling any longer.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Carefully Superman swept his enhanced senses over the building, looking for the slightest change.

As frustrating as it was, he knew that Bruce was right that he should go in alone, given the precautions these people had taken against Clark's powers. Fortunately, his friend had agreed to take a distress beacon that would send a high-pitch alert through even all that metal. Or a "call for assistance if evidence is in danger of being destroyed while I handle business," as the man had insisted _. He's really loosening up_ , the Man of Steel smiled. _Guess this League is working after all._

Suddenly a familiar sharp sound hit his sensitive ears, and faster than a bullet he was tearing down through the ground towards the source.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Even as Superman finished smashing his way inside the underground lab, he never took his eyes off the enemy. How they maintained their cool as the debris came hammering at them, casually avoiding it or knocking it aside. Even when they recognized who had come, and everyone but the CEO seemed nervous, they maintained their determined posture; ready to fight if necessary.

Mikan pulled out an object from between her breasts that expanded into a staff, the long-nosed one took a strange slingshot out of his shoulder-bag, and the furry one took up what resembled a martial arts stance. Kuroashi appeared completely disinterested, but Superman knew he was a coiled spring ready to strike.

Sparing a quick glance at Batman to be sure he was okay, Superman turned to look at the others. "Surrender now, this doesn't have to go any further," his voice and gaze confident and sure as he stared them down. Making it clear that while he was not going to kill them, if they wanted a fight before they were hauled off to jail, they would regret it.

Not a lick of doubt on what the final outcome would be.

Kuroashi seemed to be thinking the exact same thing, except that _he_ would be the one victorious. The others never flinched, and Batman knew that they were not going to back down.

"Sorry," Dr. Mikan smiled, despite the beads of sweat on her forehead, "can't do that."

"Still, we don't have to fight him today, and the rest of the League might be on its way," the long-nosed one warned. "Chopper, you don't really need any of those notes, do you?"

"No," the furry one agreed, sounding a little confused.

"I'm more worried about where we're standing," Dr. Mikan added, as the dust specks from the ceiling kept falling down in front of them. "He took out a support beam or two," in Superman's rush to respond to the emergency distress call, and his inability to examine the lead-lined walls in detail as he tunneled in. "So this whole place might collapse if we stay."  
"Alright then," and the young man shot at Superman with his slingshot.

Not taking any chances, and familiar with the nasty surprises Batman packed into his baterangs, Superman dodged it, but the projectile exploded mid-air, covering the room in grey smoke.

Playing it cautious, Superman quickly made his way to Batman who –on the same wave-length— popped open one of belt pouches for Superman to pull out two miniature breathers. They barely managed to slip them on before the weird cloud could get into their lungs.

Throughout this, Batman dimly made out the sounds of people running away, while Superman advanced through the smoke. However, a few minute later the Man of Steel walked back to him. Answering the unspoken question, "Lead lined smoke, and too many possible exits they could've taken. Besides, your health is more important if they're only running away."

 _Hmm, even I and Luthor haven't managed something like that_ , Batman pondered. "You should've still gone after them!" he snapped. "Use your super-hearing and find them!"

"No, there's also too many echoes in all the tunnels. Plus, they're moving too fast and they're right, this whole place is unstable." Gently Superman picked up his friend and flew off.

"We'll get them next time," Superman said as he slipped out of the underground base. He knew that Batman was upset because of how severely he had underestimated their quarry. "I'll come back after we've gotten you patched up at the Batcave."

Flying quietly but quickly, they were nearly back at Gotham City when Superman finally voiced what had been bothering them both. "They didn't really retreat because they were afraid of fighting us, only because they thought it unnecessary."

". . . Yes," Batman confessed, voicing his own concerns. "Except for Black Foot, I think he did it because he decided there was too much risk of the building coming down on his associates, who are apparently weaker than him. If not for that situation however, they were sure they'd still be able to win."

The Dark Knight took a deep yet decisive breath. "This isn't over."

"Did they tell you anything useful?"

"Apparently they're called the Straw Hat Pirates . . . "

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **In regards to Sanji vs. Superman, it was at least a fight the former _thought_ he could win. He is not one to back down from a fight after all, but he is also more willing to run away to fight another day than Luffy or Zoro.**

 **.**

 **To head off any questions, this will be firmly set in the DCAU universe; that is, the animated version of the Justice League. I have done this in no small part because it greatly simplifies the existing threats, the cast, and a thousand other details. Some parts of the comics will leak through however, like the part about the Flash and the fire is inspired from an arc on the failures that the heroes have to bear during the job. In that case, there was a smoke alarm, but the batteries had died and the kids did not survive :-(**

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 **Next Chapter: "The Pirates," where their perspective is examined.**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	2. The Pirates

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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Justice

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Chapter 2: The Pirates

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Several months ago

Sluggishly the ocean lapped against the dock, while the rain drenched everything it could reach. Drips leaked through the grimy warehouse, within which were huddled the Straw Hat Pirates.

That morning they had been wild and free in the New World, now they were here. . . .Wherever this was.

As far as Robin could figure out, this was an entirely different planet, and they had no idea how to get home.

"We're gonna need some more food supplies," their chef, 'Black Foot' Sanji, said for lack of anything else. "I'll stay here and watch over the ladies while the rest of you go. Take the Little Lost Swordsman so you can lose him for a year or so."

"Aw shut it, nosebleed," 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro muttered, unable to muster the energy to even properly snap at his rival. For his part, Sanji did not act as if he had even heard Zoro, failing to fire off an insult of his own, or throw a kick at the swordsman.

Luffy glanced around at his crew. He knew he was not the brightest man alive –that was why he had such smart crewmembers— but he knew his crew. His friends. His nakama.

He could tell that they were all just robotically going through the motions, struggling to deal with the despair that was threatening to consume them. Any other group in these circumstances would already have had half of them at each other's throats, except none of them could fathom tearing themselves apart like that. No, not even Sanji or Zoro, when it was serious at least.

Still, it was clearly time to start acting like the Captain.

"There's no One Piece here, right?" his voice rang out, drawing the eyes of his crew. "No Hawkeye to beat, no All Blue, no Laboon, none of our important things. Just this lame world with its wimpy seas."

His tone was deceptively casual, his Hat cast his eyes into shadows, and all of his friends felt the shift in the air as something familiar stirred within them as they recognized this Moment. Each and every one of them had sworn to follow their Captain, to follow their dreams, ready to die in the pursuit of them if necessary. As time had passed and they had become a family, each of them now willing to die so that the others could accomplish their own dreams.

More importantly, they had all learnt how to _live_ to see each other achieve this.

The malaise that had swiftly overcome them however, was from the knowledge that such dreams were impossible here. Or in Zoro's case, irrelevant, since there were no real swordsmen here, automatically making him the greatest of them all, without any challenge. Something called 'satellites' had even already mapped this world for Nami.

Their Captain had merely voiced what they were all thinking: this world was hell.

Yet now that depression was burning away before the light of their memories of all of the times when they had _known_ they could entrust everything to him, and why; he would protect them from both their enemies and the darkness that plagued them from within.

The Straw Hat crew found themselves remembering all of the 'hopeless' struggles they had overcome under his leadership. The sheer determination they had felt each time they lived up to the faith that Luffy put in each and every one of them, that in turn they would be able to handle whatever he could not. His unquenchable belief that _together_ , all of them could handle anything. In the name of that trust, they had all followed this unimpressive looking man into hell time and again, defied the wrath of the world itself, and had faced down monsters without reservation.

Captain 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy raised his head and looked at them all, his eyes now drawing in their very souls and lighting a fire in their hearts. "We're going to get home," he swore. "Now. What do we need to do that?"

Yes, they definitely knew this growing sensation.

 _It's impossible, we don't even know where we are!_ 'Cat Burglar' Nami almost said, before stopping herself. Their resident Rubber Man was too stupid to realize what he was attempting to do was impossible, and thus would succeed anyways. A 'smart' man would never have attempted a tenth of what he had done, and been all the poorer for it.

 _We don't even know how we got here!_ 'God' Usopp nearly protested, yet knew his words were meaningless. None of them would give up trying to find a way back to their own world.

"Glad to hear it," Sanji said with a smile that everyone else shared, and continued in a neutral voice that conveyed the facts, devoid of pessimism, "but how are we going to do it? We still don't even know how it happened."

"Then we just find the people who can figure it out for us," Luffy replied with a serious expression as everyone paused in thought. "If we know who to ask, then we're halfway there!"

"It's possible that this has happened before, and that there are some records to help us," 'Demon Child' Robin, the archaeologist, mused with a small smile.

"We're going to need some incentive for them to help us," Sanji pointed out. "Can't expect charity work after all."

"We're still pirates," Zoro sneered, holding up a certain white-sheathed sword. "If they don't want to help us, we make them."

"We should start by offering them something first," Robin gently yet firmly corrected.

"Yo ho ho ho! I might have an idea for raising money!" 'Soul King' Brook burst out, while the rest were grinning too, along with 'Iron Man' Franky entering his signature pose.

"And what we can't earn, we'll steal!" Nami declared, clenching her fist, and the others all nodded or cheered in agreement.

All except for their Captain, as Luffy just beamed in happiness, knowing that they were on their way to getting home.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Now

Despite being officially vacant, the inside of the warehouse had been transformed into a warm and comfortable place to live, with delicious aromas already wafting through it.

While it still wasn't home, it was tolerable for now.

Sanji and the others had just reported back, although a few other crewmembers were absent on other jobs, or because they stood out in public too much.

With a sigh of exasperation, still wearing her scientist costume, Nami closed up her laptop and then walked up to her awaiting friends.

"How'd it go?" Luffy asked.

"Good. All of our former employees have received a generous final pay cheque. I left the building in the hands of a worker they all trust," Nami did not bother saying who, since her Captain lacked the attention span to care. "All of Chopper's patents and his remaining notes for what we were planning to do next are now in the public domain, so that's taken care of at least. Cherry Blossom can still produce them, but this way we're sure that LexCorp or Wayne Enterprises won't control them." Nami and her crew hated monopolies on general principle, although in her case it was also because she felt only she should have them. Then she snarled with fangs she suddenly grew, "Except we've still lost one of our best sources of income!"

"Can't be helped." Sanji calmly interjected as he lit a cigarette, elegant in his suit and apron even after their hasty retreat. "We're keeping our distance from the League, which means severing all ties. Better safe than sorry." It physically hurt him to remind her of this, knowing his precious Nami-swan was upset over the loss of money that was her rightful due. Of course, the reminder of how she was also helping other people would soothe the heart of beautiful gold that beat within her chest, and placate her fury.

To the side and sitting on the couch, a forlorn wail burst out. "WAAAAAH! BWAAAAH! GWAAAAAA!" Little Chopper continued to sob into Robin's lap, while she stroked his back soothingly.

"So, the Justice League, huh?" Zoro pondered out-loud. "Took them long enough," he said with a bloodthirsty smile as his thumb flicked up one of his katana an inch from its sheath.

"Yeah, yeah, but at least nothing really happened," Usopp scowled. "Fighting with them ain't worth it, especially since we didn't lose any of our research. Sure we lost a great source of money," everyone pointedly did not look at Nami lest she vent her fury at the reminder, "but who knows what'd happened if we fought them?"

Deciding to tone down the mood, Zoro lowered his sword. Truthfully however, while he agreed with the Idiot Cook's decision –not that he would ever admit it— it was not just the swordsman who was getting itchy for a chance at some serious action. Luffy was also getting antsy without anything to challenge himself against. How else were they supposed to become stronger?

"It was inevitable that we'd run into them," Nami said with a shrug of her shoulders, "they fight for _justice_ , after all."

Zoro just sneered at that, Usopp gave a scoffing noise, only Chopper, despite how he was crying, caught the briefest flicker of tension from Robin's hands before she went back to consoling him.

"At least the Justice League try to actually help people now and then," Sanji calmly noted. He was starting to prepare dinner for them all, before blushing with hearts bursting into his eyes. "And the women do it in such fantastic uniforms too!"

Suppressing the urge to smack the man on the head, Nami addressed the chef's first point. "Yeah, it makes what they're saying more believable, but they're still dictating to everyone what 'Justice' is, living on high above everyone else. Just like the marines."

Of course, the crew all knew that the Justice League was not like the World Government's Navy. Robin's research had been thorough. The key detail was that they were not like the World Government _yet_.

Sooner or later, while they went on about 'Justice' and doing whatever they wanted while they beat up and arrested people for crimes, they would forget what that word meant. After all, who could stop them?

"If they're real heroes, they might still share some meat with us," Luffy granted the League, finally chipping in. "But if they go too far, they'll eventually have to come after us, and we'll take them down," his words echoing with finality. "That way they won't be able to do to this world what the World Government did to ours."

"Of course, Luffy," Robin answered neutrally, even as everyone else understood the significance of her support given her own history with the ruthless global institution and their military arm.

 _The extermination of Ohara, the guilty and the innocent. The sole survivor, an eight-year old Robin being hunted for twenty years._

 _Murdering pregnant women and babies in the search for the Pirate King's heir._

 _Framing Tom, Franky's mentor and father-figure, and taking him away to the legendary prison and hell, Impel Down, to be tortured and executed._

 _Discrimination had wrought the fear and pain that had festered within Fishman Island._

 _The hypocrisy in which the elite flouted the law and kept slaves. Torturing, debasing, and killing their victims at a whim. Meanwhile, the marines dutifully overlooked this, while hunting down those who escaped, since liberation was a crime._

 _Marine Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan ruling over an island like a tyrant. His spoiled son doing whatever he wanted, even ordering Zoro's execution for saving a girl from the Morgan's brat's dogs._

 _Nami's life of servitude under the very pirates who had killed her mom, made possible by the corruption of the marines. The first naval officer to land on her island in eight years came solely to steal the treasure that Nami had saved to buy back both her freedom and all of the villagers._

 _Threatening the crew, in order to abduct Robin and take her, and Franky, to be tortured in Impel Down for their knowledge to unlock the ancient superweapons. The sick toady in charge of the World Government's second most elite intelligence agency, betraying and beating them. Making clear that the weapons would be used to advance his career, while abusing those weapons' destructive potential against the world._

 _The granting of legitimacy that allowed Crocodile, Doflamingo, and the Vinsmokes to carry out their atrocities with near impunity, so long as they paid lip-service to the World Government._

 _…Killing Luffy's brother Ace, and trying to do the same to their Captain. Not for their crimes, but for their bloodlines. A death sentence even if either young man had lived a life of peace._

 _Every act of pain and cruelty, rationalized by the World Government by claiming it had been done in the name of 'Justice.'_

No.

No, the Straw Hats would take 'Freedom' over 'Justice' any day.

And they were pirates, so they would take what they wanted by force.

Although they were being unusually circumspect in this world. Luffy and Zoro had found this grating at times, but as the others had pointed out, they did not even know what exactly they were looking for to get back home, that they had no clues to start with.

Moreover, the powers that people had here worked differently than they were used to, and the technology the various militaries had were more advanced than most of what was back home. Not to mention what would happen if the fighters here, especially given how diverse their abilities could be, stumbled onto what water, especially seawater, could do to some of the crew, including their Captain…

Individually this was not a problem, and they could even roll over the armies of most of these nations with ease. Unfortunately, all of those people would likely all unite against the pirates if the crew got too big before they were ready. And they had more important things to do in the meantime.

They would play by the rules for now, but only for so long as they felt like it.

Until that inevitable point –it was a _miracle_ they had gone this long without a public declaration of war against anyone— they would stay quiet. Despite how Luffy, Zoro, and some of the others were itching for a serious fight. And undoubtedly it would be with the 'heroes' of this world.

It was only a matter of time after all, until even the 'pure' and 'true-hearted' Justice League would become like the marines; dictating what was allowed or not. Vindicating their actions by saying they fought for 'justice.' That it was to 'protect' people.

Not too long ago, Superman had tried to conquer the Earth, and would have succeeded if not for the military and his cousin opposing him. Afterwards, Superman had claimed he was under mind control, yet the fact remained that he was once again flying around without facing any repercussions. Now he had other powerful beings helping him, operating out of the League's Watchtower. An orbital base of operations that distanced them from the rest of the common people, made them impervious to any resistance, and was securely placed to rain down attacks on any country on Earth.

 _That said, having them around to stop stuff like that alien invasion that supposedly made them become a team, makes them useful enough to keep around to deal with stuff like that. Still, that almost sounded like a declaration of war from Luffy_ , Nami wondered, before catching Zoro shaking his head, and then she got it.

They were not like the Revolutionary Army, they would only fight the League if they came for the pirates, or if they did something so awful that the crew could not overlook it and went to hunt them down.

"The League's still a pretty small group, so if we have to it'll be easier to chop off the head than with the World Government," Zoro smiled. Then stretched his lips even further to show his teeth. "It'll probably even be fun!"

"FUN!?" Chopper wailed. "THEY DESTROYED MY MEDICAL LAB! ALL THE CURES AND TREATMENTS I SILL COULD'VE GIVEN PEOPLE! BWAAAAAAA!"

"There, there Chopper," said Robin soothingly as she stroked him. "Much of your knowledge and teachings have already gotten out to the world, and so cheaply too! And now that it's in the public domain, more people will continue your work. You've already made it better for people all over, and I promise we'll find someone else to discreetly continue to take credit for your findings!"

"That probably would've been easier from the start," Nami admitted, "except that we'd have had to pay them to keep quiet too." Then she brightened up. "Besides, don't forget Chopper, you also made a lot of money out of it too," she praised with a warm smile. "I couldn't believe how much you were racking in! Playing scientist to cover you when you were advancing their medicine was actually pretty fun at times!" _Especially with all the cash we made_ , she added to herself with dollar signs in her eyes, while most of the men rolled their eyes.

(Except for Sanji of course. He was busy twirling around her with hearts in his eyes over what was 'obviously' her declaring that the reason it was so much fun was because she Loved him)

It had been a little tricky, but Nami was intelligent enough to memorize any scripts Chopper gave her, and cunning enough to detract attention where necessary. A few times they had needed to use an earpiece, with Chopper feeding her lines while dealing with a particularly inquisitive scientist or interviewer, who Nami could not distract with her charms. By the time the _Daily Planet_ reporters had come by she did not even need it anymore.

They were all shaken out of their happy thoughts as Sanji got back to the stove to continue stirring a pot of rich sauce. "By the way, according to my Observation Haki," jerking his thumb at his head, "that so-called male reporter that dropped by with that enormous presence, is actually Superman. Who'd have thought? I mean, seriously, they look nothing alike."

"Robin and I looked him up after the interview," Nami mused, rubbing her chin, "he's actually a pretty famous investigative reporter, which makes sense really."

"Useful cover," Usopp agreed.

Luffy just shrugged and turned his attention back to what was important: when would their next meal be?

Robin just smiled to herself as she took in her captain's disinterest, fully aware that the idea of going after the hero's personal life had not even occurred to him. It had occurred to _her_ , although Robin just blamed that on her residual cynicism that had somehow survived Luffy's presence. It was irrelevant to her anyways, for the hero had done absolutely nothing to justify such an attack.

And if he did in the future? Then her friends would improvise and deal with the situation as it came. Besides, as had been noted, even with the issue of Chopper's lab, the heroes had not really done anything to seriously provoke the pirates. Money and buildings were replaceable, and none of the crew had been hurt. Oh, sure, if they attacked another of their enterprises in the future, then there would most likely be fighting, but only in defense. There was just no need to actively seek out a confrontation.

For over the last few months, they had been busy. Laboring in the shadows.

Given their inclinations, many of their projects to raise money or gather information were criminal in nature, but some were less so.

From the start, Chopper had wanted to help develop the healing arts of this strange world, and the others had been quick to support him. When they had realized how much money there was in it, Sanji and Nami had volunteered to take up roles from time to time to help the doctor's work go more smoothly. Truthfully, Robin would have wanted to be part of that too, but she was too busy. A former vice-president to one of their world's most far-reaching and powerful crime syndicates, and protégé of the Revolutionary Army, only had so much spare time after all.

Early on she had given some thought to approaching the Justice League, but had ultimately dismissed it. While there was the possibility that they had access to the relevant technology or abilities, there was nothing concrete to support it. If they revealed themselves, then all future operations would be at risk if it turned out the League lacked the means. It had been Luffy who had made the final decision however, displaying one of his great moments of insight that had stopped everyone short

He had pointed out that in that case it would be the League controlling the 'door' home, and that the crew would be vulnerable. Vulnerable not only in terms of whether or not they would actually be sent home, but in terms of _where_ they would be dropped off. Say, Marine Headquarters. And if the 'heroes' chose to later follow, having discovered where the Straw Hats were from, they might ally themselves with the _other_ 'force of Justice' that the pirates knew of.

The thought was too terrifying to contemplate.

(And no, they were not letting that telepathic alien anywhere near their minds. It was not happening. Ever.)

(It was not just Robin or Franky who held secrets that must never see the light of day, for fear they might spread beyond the League)

Funds rolled in, science was assembled, and slowly but surely they begin to map out how they would be able to return home.

Their goal was in sight, so they remained patient. For those who had decided who would rule kingdoms or not, had wrecked nations in defying the whims of monsters, had violated taboo after taboo, and had challenged the world itself to a fight, it was a miracle that they had remained so quiet as long as they had.

Inevitably however, they knew it was only a matter of time before other movers and shakers took notice of them.

 **!JUSTICE!**

After a scrumptious dinner and waiting for Sanji to clean up, they all went to fulfil their little ritual whenever they got together.

It was underneath another warehouse, bought by another one of Robin's numerous shell companies, but deliberately kept separate from any of their other activities. It was used by a small yet legitimate shipping company, and was always busy during work hours. At night and on holidays however, getting in was merely a matter of turning the key, entering the security code and turning on some flashlights. They were the owners after all.

The door was under a recessed panel in the floor, which in turn was always buried under several tons of merchandise; child's play for them to shift aside and back when necessary.

With near reverence, they took in the sight of Franky's private lab.

Computers and strange devices that they could barely describe, all reverently placed around a standing metal ring that was to serve as the portal home.

They had been forced to move his equipment to this artificial cave after an accident had destroyed most of his progress, and nearly many other irreplaceable things.

After all, Franky required a large place to do his job, lots of raw materials, and the most expensive tools money could buy.

Or could be stolen.

That said, they all accepted that large and pricy purchases, along with hush-money and discrete and misleading shipping, was more productive. This raised fewer questions than a string of thefts, so which they tried to keep at a minimum. Or they stole stuff that could be turned into capital for later shopping trips.

Blinking his tired eyes, Franky got up from where he had been napping, having worked himself to exhaustion again. After Sanji had scolded Franky for missing dinner, the chef shoved into the the man's arms a still-warm meal he had packed (including cola), after Robin had reported their friend needed some rest.

"I'm at an impasse again," the massive cyborg admitted, cringing a little at the flicker of weariness he caught in their eyes.

"Is it the theory again?" Usopp asked, playing peacemaker.

"You know it," Franky said, and everyone but Luffy sighed. Their Captain just picked his nose and walked over to a pile of travel brochures.

Despite his own impatience to get home, Luffy had been the first to mandate vacation time. Especially to keep his crew from crumbling under the weight of the task before them.

"Oh well, at least we can have fun while waiting for some scientist to come up with the next part," Nami offered.

"Let's go to somewhere sunny with all the ladies on the beach!" Sanji panted. "I've heard of places where they have to go topless! It's the law!"

"You'll die of a nosebleed," Zoro deadpanned.

"What was that you Idiot Mosshead!?"  
"I should put you out of your misery right now!" the swordsman snapped back, blades already clashing against the cook's black shoes.

Luffy chortled at this while the others ignored it with practiced ease, secretly glad to see them both in good spirits.

They had a lot of obligations to maintain still, but they were all looking forward to another vacation.

The fact was that creating a portal across dimensions was ground-breaking work in itself, and was further hampered by the fact that a) they had no idea how to find their home universe, and b) the closest thing they had to a trustworthy scientist was their _shipwright_.

Albeit one whose lack of formal education had not prevented him from turning himself into a super-advanced cyborg with a ridiculously efficient power system, utilizing nothing but scraps and his own genius. He was also self-taught expert in many other fields, ranging from carpentry to advanced neuro-surgery. Heck, even some of Chopper's medical work was based upon Franky's dabbling in chemistry and biology!

(What, did you think that was _natural_ skin covering his bare chest after being hit by a train, self-surgery, and being at the epicenter of an explosion that burnt away most of his torso?)

Unfortunately, quantum mechanics, or whatever it was he was studying right now, was not on the list of his pre-crossover skillsets.

In the meantime, his research and development was slow, especially since it had to stay secret. So secret, that some ignorant outsiders might accuse of him of being paranoid and needlessly delaying his own progress.

'Iron Man' Franky was not paranoid. He was the former head of a city-state's underworld, while hiding from a worldwide dictatorship and its insidious intelligence agencies. This was just standard procedure.

His materials came in circuitously, yet at times he also had to wait to study the results of his own experiments. During these breaks in activity, he and Robin searched for sources of information. Various scientists were consulted and paid handsomely, or their files were stolen. Some even tutored Franky (via phone or mail), receiving generous payments along with subtle threats. Of course, the blue-haired man had from the very start also asked questions on other subjects to help misleading them from his true intentions.

And these inquiries were not just with the men and women who were publicly recognized as mad scientists, but also those regarded as stable pillars of society and scientific advancement.

In the meantime, the whole crew, including Franky, did what they could to relax, and even went on short vacations from time to time.

(Nami, Usopp, and Robin had worked overtime to prevent Luffy from being seen swinging around on his rubber arms on stuff like that giant stone cat in that desert country).

Movies had been a fantastic discovery, and they had worked their way through so many films, while also making new friends.

Aside from that, they also religiously maintained their training. While lacking any strong opponents to pressure them so far, even sparring against each other had been beneficial.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Oh, and Zoro," the massive metal and flesh form of Franky boomed, pulling something out of his suitcase, "we're all ready for yah!"

The swordsman only grunted at that, yet turned to join him. When Franky had been twenty-six and hit by that train, he had saved his own life by using nothing more than scrap metal, junk, and his natural genius to turn himself into a crude cyborg. And by 'crude' that meant a little deformed, while still packing a variety of weaponry that could likely overcome the military might of almost any nation within the Blue Seas.

A decade later, he could probably take on most of those armies all at once.

Here on Earth, Franky now had access to far more advanced tools, his trade developed into all but an art form. The speedo-wearing shipbuilder was able to offer the same aid to the bodies of his comrades –if nothing major, because that would be insulting all their hard work and abilities— if they so wished.

Like a certain one-eyed swordsman.

"Ready to operate, Dr. Chopper?" Franky boomed as he struck his SUPER™ pose!

"Ready!" Chopper beamed, all sorrows banished at the thought of being able to heal one of his crew even further.

"SUUUUUUPER" roared Franky before turning to look at grumpy Zoro.

Zoro only gave a slight "tch" at that. He had initially been insulted by their little gift; he had lost that left eye fair and square during training with a fellow swordsman. Moreover, it had been his newest sensei, the man he would surpass. He would die before lowering himself to cheating like that, end of discussion.

It was not like he needed bifocal vision to fight anyways.

 _Then_ however Franky had brought up potential features that had sparked Zoro's carefully hidden Man's Romance.

While Zoro refused to let his Observation Haki get dull, having x-ray vision, infrared, a telescope built right into his head, and even being able to use the eye as a flashlight was admittedly pretty awesome. The laser beam function had been what tipped the scales in favor of accepting the artificial eye.

Of course, he had been quite firm with them that closing his eyelid, especially during a fight, would turn it off, allowing him to fight with honor. If he had the slightest sensation the thing was still working, he would cheerfully rip it right out.

Truthfully, Franky and Chopper had been more than fine with this, because giving Zoro binocular vision had always been a secondary objective. Their real mission, which they had declined to mention as being their specific intent, was an attempt to 'cure' their friend of his frankly _absurd_ and outright terrifyingly _awful_ sense of direction.

The little computer that they were planning to bribe/bully/whatever Zoro into carrying would input coordinates and his cybernetic eye would project a computerized arrow across his vision to give him much-needed directions. They had made a point of acting as if it were just one of the various features, and of no particular importance.

Zoro would give a scoff of derision at the slanderous lie that _he_ got lost. The terrain and buildings just kept moving around! _Other_ people got lost!

"But what about when he forgets the computer or breaks it?" Nami had skeptically argued.

"Then we track him with the GPS tracker that we'll be implanting into his eye socket," Chopper bluntly answered. "And then maybe we can get some sleep without worrying about losing him on these oversized islands!" the doctor finished.

"They're called 'continents'," corrected Usopp before giving an exasperated sigh. A rarely used term given how there was only a single one back home. "But yeah, now we can worry about the hundred other things." Luffy just laughed at that, and rattled off other suggestions for Zoro's eye that were ignored.

(How could they fit a missile into an eyeball anyways?)

(Luffy had also sulked for days when he had been informed they had no idea where to start in making a 'meat ray.' They did not even ask how it would work, Franky and Usopp just bluntly told him it was impossible to kill the idea before it took root too deep in their Captain's mind.)

They had also been careful to make sure there would be no internal damage if/when Zoro chose to just yank it out of his eye socket.

"Let's just get it over with," Zoro grumbled half-heartedly. "And remember, no anesthetic!"  
"Yeah, yeah, we know," Franky reassured him, while Chopper muttered about how Zoro's recklessness probably meant he had shredded all his nerves already.

The rest of the crew just shook their heads in resignation.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

"How long until he can take the eyepatch off?" Nami asked, once the surgery was complete.

"About an hour," Chopper assured them, while the swordsman just went to find the nearest bottle of booze.

"Then he can do it after we see Brook," she decided, looking at her watch. "If we hurry we can get there before he's busy."

Sanji nodded, hefting up another bag full of meals for the skeleton and their resident martial artist who would be waiting for them.

"Alright!" Luffy beamed. "Let's go meet up with everyone else!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

The security guards waved through the blue semi with distinctive red flames painted on, without even asking for identification from behind the tinted black windows. Orders were orders.

Two minutes later they were walking through the deserted hallway to knock on a door, smiling at the sounds of someone singing behind it.

It was nice to hear that familiar voice, without any of the weird accents of this world. It was puzzling, to those of the crew who cared, how they could all somehow speak 'English,' especially for Robin. Here, nearly every single nation seemed to have its own 'Mother Tongue,' or variations of the same language (like 'defence' vs. 'defense'). Back home, in addition to being able to read the Poneglyphs, Robin was familiar with several other forms of speech, but they were all ancient ones. Somehow, the entirety of modern society, across all of the diverse islands and species of the world, all spoke the same language. Every. Single. One.

A concept that Earth proved should have been impossible.

Yet here was a world with so many different ways of speaking, which raised such intriguing historical implications that it made the archaeologist itch all the more to return home to solve the mystery of the Void Century.

Granted, the crew all talked with a 'Japanese accent,' and had 'Japanese style surnames' (and yes, other cultures did it too, but given the accent they found themselves identifying with Japanese more) but that was not an issue for them. They had also enjoyed a vacation to that country.

(Nami had to drag them back to America when all of the men would not stop sulking upon the discovery that no, Japan did not yet have giant, transforming robots)

It even amused them to use Japanese words for some of their aliases, such as for Sanji and Nami.

Luffy barged right into the room without knocking, while everyone else smiled and followed. Before a mirror was the familiar figure of Brook playing on his electric guitar. When the reflection of Luffy appeared over his shoulder, the animated skeleton spun around exclaiming, "Oh my! Don't sneak up on me like that, you'll scare me to death! Oh wait! I'm already dead! Yo ho ho ho!"

Chopper and Usopp chuckled while their Captain laughed, but they all knew that Brook had been aware of their presence before they had even opened the door. They all ignored it in favor of the levity however.

A side door opened, and another pirate came into the room to join them all.

Smiling with his fangs, the blue figure made his way over in his wooden geta with an ease and grace that defied his massive bulk. "Good to see you all!" declared Jinbe.

There were no real demonstrations of joy at seeing each other after being absent for a while, each acting as if they had never been parted from one another. Sliding into place like a well-oiled machine, refusing to acknowledge the times when their family could not share in the presence of each other.

Sanji handed out more still-warm food, and everyone found a place to sit while they got to business, discussing their discovery by the Justice League and the loss of the medical lab. As two veteran warriors, Brook and Jinbe's expertise was well valued.

"Well," Brook said thoughtfully, "I'm glad we haven't lost anything important, even if it's a shame they wouldn't trust us to continue Chopper's work. Frankly, my main concern is that there was nothing else incriminating there! I haven't been able to keep track of all your projects after all, working myself to the bone with my job. Oh wait, I am already all bones! Yo ho ho ho ho!"

"Don't worry," Usopp said reassuringly after his friend's obligatory skull joke. "Robin's been doing a phenomenal job managing everything, and we kept everything related to our other operations away from there."

"Yeeeah! She's SUUUUPER!"

"Speaking of which," Jinbe rumbled, "how goes the rest of the network?"  
Due to his distinctive appearance, at this stage Jinbe himself had noted that it was probably best for him to lay low, unless helping them deal with the underworld which he also had some experience with. Thus the fishman had aided Robin where he could, and had served as obvious muscle where intimidation might be needed. The rest of the time he trained, taught the others some tricks, and was presently visiting Brook to keep him company.

"We have the resources," she admitted, "but we're burning through money as fast as we can make it to help Franky's work. Along with other expenses and projects."

One such problem they had encountered was that all of the various brands of pop and cola in this world were slightly yet distinctively different from the universal Cola that Franky relied upon. Fortunately, the man had learned how to manufacture it himself after a few close shaves during their two year Separation. Nonetheless, he had been adamant that it would be preferable if he could also acquire it through commercial means in case of an emergency. Hence their need to create a company to produce it, and pour money into it to ensure the success of Iceberg Cola.

(Franky had sulked at the name until it was pointed out that if he kept guzzling cola while yelling "SUPER," or with the way that Luffy chattered on, then as soon as they –inevitably— went public, it would be impossible for people to not make the connection to 'Pirate Cola,' 'Sunny Cola,' and especially 'SUPER COLA).

(Franky would not be one to boast about 'Iceberg' Cola, and Luffy would not remember how to say the name right)

Other supply issues like vast quantities of food, booze, exotic plants, rare books, etcetera, had been essential to keep everyone else in order.

Then there were the obvious benefits of maintaining multiple secret bases to hide out, given how they traveled so much around the world. If they stayed in one place too long after all, they might snap and lay waste to the local cities.

It has to be said again, Robin's experience as the vice-president of a major crime syndicate, and her time allied with the Revolution, was invaluable.

"I still wish I could take over the meat market," Luffy moaned, a drop of drool leaking out. "We could ship it all to me instead!"

Robin had brought up the fear that the meat in this world would not taste like the food back home, forcing Luffy to revert to eating his own limbs as withdrawal hit him. Fortunately, to their indescribable relief, Luffy had already rebelliously tried the meat and found he enjoyed it before she even had finished talking. He had cheerfully continued to stuff his mouth while laughing as Nami, Usopp, and Chopper begged their 'Big Sis' to please, never ever say stuff like that again.

"Wipe your mouth!" Nami snapped. "And we couldn't ship it all to you without telling everyone where we are!"

"Would they try to take my meat away?" he grimly asked.

"Yes."

"Then I'd just beat them for trying to take my meat, and since I could keep eating more meat I'd keep having the energy to keep hitting them!"

"You—!" Nami cut herself off as she seriously considered Luffy's argument. Robin giggled and the others exchanged wide-eyed stares as they marveled at the possibilities.

"We'll think about it," the navigator finally compromised. "But for now, all of those meat farms and factories we already own will have to do. Not all of them. Yet. Maybe."

Anything further was interrupted as Brook glanced at the clock. "Oh my, I have to get going or I'll be late!"

They cheered him on as he hustled out the door. Moments later he was being escorted by eager staff.

He patiently took his position on stage, and seconds later spotlights framed him as he held up one boney hand. "Are you ready to rock!?" called out the Soul King.

"YEEEAAH!" screamed the horde of hyperactive fans here for the live performance of the world's newest music sensation.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **In regarding how the crew of the _Thousand Sunny_ reached this new world, let us be honest, a portal to another universe probably does not even make the Top Ten Strangest Things in the Grand Line. To say the least the New World itself.**

 **Credit for the bit on Franky's fake skin goes to Thisisarealtagwhy, whose own One Piece work I seriously recommend!**

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 **Next chapter: 'Aftermath'**

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 **Please Review and I will get back to you!**


	3. Aftermath

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Also help from Gremlin Jack on some issues, with him even writing some of the content himself. Make sure to check out their stories!

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Justice

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Chapter 3: Aftermath

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 _Previously:_

 _Stranded in a strange new universe, the Straw Hat Pirates have been working to find their way back home, but unfortunately they require lots of money and resources to accomplish this. Inevitably they began both legal and illegal enterprises to do so. Batman and Superman grew suspicious of one of their legitimate companies, Cherry Blossom Medical, leading to a brief clash between them and members of the Straw Hats. Both sides retreated, and the pirates dissolved the company to cover their tracks, adamant that the heroes never discover anything about their home universe, especially the other followers of 'Justice' that live there._

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Calmly, Black Leg Sanji turned around as he took in the sight of the Watchtower. Acting as if he owned the place.

Which he sort of did.  
Partial ownership at least.

"Yes, that's it exactly," Superman complimented.

The form of the ex-CEO of Cherry Blossom Medical shifted and flowed, until in his place stood J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. "It should be, given how I took this image directly from your memories," the shapeshifting telepath dryly noted.

Batman said nothing, having denied their teammate the right to poke around in his head. His injuries hurt, but he kept on working. Not daring to appear weak. The sole normal human on the team.

Although the rest of the assembled League felt like trying to convince him to go to bed to rest from yesterday's injuries, they respected his desire to first discuss the ones who had attacked him. Each of them examined the pictures taken of Manhunter, showing different profiles of the four pirates.

"Don't look like much," Flash noted, as he rummaged through his twelfth bag of chips for the last few crumbs.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Martian Manhunter neutrally reminded him. "But do we really have grounds to put out alerts on them? Illegal construction or not, and false backgrounds, you did break into their home, which is also illegal."

"I'm not a member of your little club," Batman growled while the others tried to not roll their eyes. While they had the support from many governments, Batman, their 'part-timer,' was the one who broke the most laws; albeit in a manner that none of them were willing to call him out on. Breaking and entering to spy around was a regular occurrence for him, with the caveat that none of what he 'found' would hold up in courts. It was the results of the follow-up investigations that were born from those first clues that made the difference. Strictly speaking, they had nothing to hold those criminals on that they would not be promptly bailed out for.

 _It's not too different from what the prosecutor said at my trial_ , John Stewart thought. Remembering when he had been brought before the tribunal on Ajuris 5, charged with destroying their neighbouring planet. _No one_ gave _us the right to protect people. The Guardians of the Universe entrusted me with the means to uphold law and order throughout every planet in my assigned sector, but_ they _were the ones to appoint themselves to play that role. They answer to no higher authority, yet so far they've gotten it right for the most part._

 _Just like we are doing here with the League._

 _Protecting innocent life is too big to let ourselves be constrained by the governments. Yet at the same time, I turned myself in to the court because we must work alongside those same officials if we want to show people how to achieve peace and justice without violence. That it doesn't have_ _to be a part of life._

To say that it was a delicate balancing act, one which they had to be carefully scrutinized every single second of every day, would be an understatement.

The truth of the matter was that the members of the Justice League had for all intents and purposes been vigilantes, which was illegal despite widespread support from the public and law enforcement. Since the founding of their team though, they had the privilege of the United Nation's approval, as well as countries like the United States. Those institutions overlooked what were technically criminal acts out of faith that the heroes would remain true to their ideals. That they would not push the envelope too far.

So far it worked, but only because of the level of faith the various governments and police were willing to put in them.

But these people Superman and Batman had uncovered, had gone to suspicious lengths to hide themselves. Which they would not have done if helping people with superior treatments was all they intended. Clearly they held an agenda that they were willing to fight to protect at the drop of a hat, used a lead-based smoke bomb that would have been very hazardous if they had been anyone else, and openly identified themselves as pirates. Actions and words that spoke volumes.

No, there was no doubt in Green Lantern's mind that these people were going to cause trouble. The only question was how much, and how the League was to contain it.

"I dropped off most of our notes on it to the _Daily Planet_ before coming here," Superman said. "We don't have anything to hide," Batman coughed, "aside from how Batman is going to be out of it for a little while. What's important here is that people are warned that something suspicious is going on."

There was some slight reluctance, but the others agreed. Their reputation was important, but ensuring people were safe was more so.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Lois Lane gave a little "hmm" as she reread her article. Smallsville would look it over later to check for any grammar issues (as she would do for Clark in turn of course), but right now she wanted to be sure it had the right balance to it.

The damage from the attack on Cherry Blossom Medical's head office had apparently not gone public yet, but Superman had already dropped by to leave her and Clark his notes, along with an explanation for what had happened. He had learnt about the interview she and her co-worker had done, and wanted to break the news first. Given Lois' own suspicions, observations of the individuals involved (including how she had caught the CEO in a lie over who was responsible for the medical breakthroughs), and verifying Superman's copies of the company's finances, she was inclined to believe he had been right to intervene. Whoever 'Black Foot' and 'Dr. Mikan' were, they had obviously been up to something, especially since if they had really been as honest and helpful as they claimed, they would have had no reason to need such secrecy. Ergo, whatever they had been hiding behind what was supposedly one of the greatest humanitarian enterprises, was likely something too unsettling for the public to ever condone.

On the flip-side, an extremely successful medical company had been attacked, and who knew what would happen to those priceless patents. Lois could only hope Wayne Enterprises would buy them out. Even more costly, was how the original source of these ground-breaking medical breakthroughs was –however temporary if she knew Superman— lost. Her article was quite clear that while what the hero had done was correct, _how_ he had gone about doing it was another matter.

That was Lois' job after all: making people aware of the full story, and guiding or prodding them into asking the hard questions themselves. Freedom and democracy required more than just punching would-be dictators to succeed after all. It was the responsibility of every citizen to hold their defenders accountable.

In her opinion, given what was at stake, more members of the Justice League should have been present. That was why they were a team after all, right? They had definitely been too cocky here. If it had been Lex Luthor's company (and yes, hiding something sinister behind something so benign, was _exactly_ the sort of thing he would do), he would already be suing the League for searching without a warrant, destruction of property, corporate espionage, breaking and entering, mental trauma, etcetera.

While she might have a crush on Superman, not calling him out on stuff like this would only hurt him and his friends in the long-run.

She also suspected that Superman was keeping some cards to his chest, although Lois had a shrewd idea what they were. They had just gotten word from Gotham City that the multi-billionaire Bruce Wayne, who she knew was Batman, had cancelled a charity dinner because he 'hurt himself slipping in the bathtub.' Promptly following this were rumours that the playboy had actually injured himself while dallying with his latest conquest. Further scandalous gossip had flourished from there. Clearly Batman was covering something up, and had to provide a public explanation for some actual injuries. Again.

Regardless, she knew to keep quiet about it. A bloodbath in Gotham because the criminals learnt Batman was out of commission, was not something Lois wanted on her conscience. _Aside from that, I think Superman covered everything else. Although if the League doesn't come up with something to help the authorities locate these guys, even if only to report any sightings, I'll have to think of something myself_ , Lois grimly thought, her thoughts darkening further beneath her neutral mask.

 _And Superman had better bring in that slimeball CEO fast. I don't want him on the streets any longer than necessary! Especially if he, or whoever he's with, is good enough to take down Batman hard enough that Superman doesn't want anyone to know._

Because at the end of the day, Lois did believe what Superman and his fellow heroes were doing was necessary.

It was tough love, but articles like this were her own way of helping them remember what they were responsible for.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"This just came in," Batman called out from where he was working at his computer. "All of the medical company's patents just went onto the public domain."

"Not what I'd expect if they really were hardened criminals," Princess Diana pointed out, as she came up to read over his shoulder.

"Don't just jump to that conclusion," Green Lantern John Stewart cautioned. "That might just be want they want us to think. As intimidating as Batman might be, they could've called the police, or tried talking to him instead of blindsiding him hard enough to hospitalize a normal man. For crying out loud, they call themselves 'pirates,' remember."

"Why use a medical company as a front though," Flash asked while snacking down chips.

"Like Batman said, they probably got their hands on advanced stuff, and couldn't adapt it for anything else," the ex-soldier turned space-cop argued. "And then used it to make a hefty profit."

"So Batman's _theorised_ ," J'onn reminded them. "And he said the furry one claimed to be the creator. It could be that he feared prejudice against his appearance, and that is why they chose to be secretive about it."

John paused at that. As an African-American, he had experienced discrimination growing up, and had seen far, _far_ worse as the Green Lantern of this space sector while traveling to and amongst alien cultures. Moreover, J'onn was literally wearing a different form than the one he had been born with. The shapeshifter taking a more 'human' appearance so as to not unnerve the people of Earth with what he really looked like. "It's possible," John granted. "That might even be part of the story. Nevertheless, they've taken it too far now for it to be as simple as that."

"You're all being naïve," Batman admonished. "I just told you they put the patents out on the public domain, and that's the first thing you all think about?"

"You're worried. You think making them public is part of some sort of PR campaign?" Diana queried. "Something to use against us in court?"

Batman frowned. "That's if we're lucky. Those patents represent a huge amount of money, almost the sum total of Cherry Blossom's market value. Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp were already furiously trying to get a hold of them. Either one would have paid any opening offers for them, if only to keep the other from getting them first. These so-called pirates stood to gain a lot of money from whoever bought out them out in the hours since we confronted them. They haven't been formally charged with any crimes yet after all.

"Instead," Batman continued to lecture, "they immediately disposed of everything at zero profit, just as a major source of income dried up." Now the rest of League were starting to catch on as he finished.  
"No, the entire company was always a smokescreen of some sort. And that makes me wonder –what have they got to hide that makes them treat a billion-dollar asset as a pawn to be sacrificed?"

Everyone tensed up at these words, leading Superman to hold up a hand to play peacekeeper. "Let's just wait until we have some more evidence. Do we have anything concrete yet?"

"What about their base? Was there anything left?" Hawkgirl asked.

"Superman and I took a look around before coming to the Watchtower," Batman said, omitting how Superman had first flown him to the Batcave for medical aid. "When we were first distracted by the smoke, we missed how they had also fired a projectile to set fire to the notes I'd found. However, even that they had expressed no concern over. We found no clues that would lead us to them."  
"Nothing at all?" Hawkgirl said with surprise, well aware of Batman's skill as a detective.

"It's probably a good idea if John and J'onn go with us for another look," Superman offered. Between John's Green Lantern Ring, and J'onn's ability to phase through solid objects (especially when lead-lined against X-ray vision), they might catch something. "But no, we couldn't find anything. By the looks of it, from the beginning they were professional enough that there were never any personal effects that could be traced. Even the materials they were using, were simply diverted from their official resources for the company overhead."

"The only thing of interest," Batman tightly added, annoyed at Superman's lack of attention to detail, "is the flag. They took their 'Jolly Roger' with them."

It was a strange one, with what looked like some sort of hat on top of the skull. A straw hat like their name.

Everyone lapsed into silence as they thought about it some more, until they noticed Diana shift to get a better look at what Batman was studying now. Reports and images that looked familiar to them.

"Fortunately," Batman said as he continued to scroll through information, "I think we've now gotten a lead on who's been doing all those robberies."

"You mean all of those banks, museums, and laboratories that've gotten ripped off lately?" Flash inquired as he zipped up beside the Dark Knight.

For the last few months there had been of string of high profile thefts. At first there had been enough variety in the methods used to make them think it was several different gangs operating. Inevitably, the crooks had messed up, leaving enough clues behind at several heists for the League and investigators to realize it was one single organization. While the revelation gave them a more accurate profile to track them down, and solved many questions, it also raised a series of new ones.

Particularly the mystery of just how skillful this group was, given the scale and scope of the crimes they had already committed.

Whoever it was, they were smart enough that not even Batman could predict their movements, leading some to wonder if they were targeting at random. There were also no hints to their identities.

"Exactly. We've suspected for some time that there were meta-humans involved, but whatever was stolen was either quietly sold without a trace of the original culprits, or disappeared. And every single time, we've never caught them in the act. Nothing for us to find them. Sound familiar?"

"Unfortunately," Superman grimly agreed, folding his arms over his chest. "Except we don't have any evidence to prove that either." He did not accuse Batman of 'jumping to conclusions,' he knew the man's intuition was razor sharp. Still, it did seem a bit of a leap.

"I admit, there's nothing conclusive," Batman allowed. "Yet with the speed and strength Black Foot displayed, and indications of meta-humans we've been unaware about until now, the possibility exists. They also had a secret base, and extensive knowledge of security based upon what I had to get through. Finally," and now he paused to turn around in his chair to face them all, with Wonder Woman and Flash forced to take a step out of the way. "Those robberies started shortly before Cherry Blossom Medical went public. In fact, some of the labs struck were working on biological research that would have benefited the company. Not to mention funding their start-up."

Now Superman was very interested. "Fair enough. Even if it's just a coincidence, I admit that's suspicious". Of course, the League had to be careful not to jump to conclusions. The idea that they had finally gotten a break on a frustrating and concerning case could be overly seductive after all. Indeed, for all that the others were willing to acknowledge the possibility of a connection, they were clearly still skeptical.

"Well, good medicine or not, if it is them," Green Lantern declared, crossing his arms, "we'll bring them in. Maybe we can get them some leniency if they make more products like that."

Deciding everyone was getting off track, Clark decided they should redirect their energies back to Cherry Blossom Medical.

"Very well then," he calmly said, "we'll keep this mind. But for now we've got other work to do. J'onn? John? Would you join me in taking another look at the base under Cherry Blossom?"

Both men nodded.

"Diana and Flash," Superman reached over to pick up printed copies of the four individuals he and Batman had seen. "Get these to law enforcement. With any luck, they'll be able to give us some better ideas."

Diana gave a pleasant smile in acknowledgement, although it was practically subdued compared to the speedster's full-toothed one.

"Hawkgirl and I will stay on the Watchtower then to monitor any new incidents," Batman grimly declared. He did not care if she acknowledged, since he was already planning to do some more research from his computer station. With a little work, he was sure to find some leads, and he would go back down to Earth to investigate.

"Alrighty then," Hawkgirl cheerfully said, grabbing Batman by his shoulder and heaving him out of the chair.

"What're you doing?" he growled, hiding any sign of pain.

"If you refuse to get some rest like you should, and we're going to be on duty together, you might as well make yourself useful. I've heard some good stuff about chess," the winged alien smirked, "so you're going to teach me." She figured the challenge, along with the opportunity to evaluate how good she was in a game of strategy –and she had always been good at those— would sufficiently salve his pride. Anything to get him to stop moving around.

Jerking himself free, Batman nodded without any emotion. "If you insist." He gestured for her to lead the way. They both knew a board and pieces could be found in the recreation room.

 **!JUSTICE!**  
Two Weeks since the Raid on Cherry Blossom Medical

"Could we really sue the Justice League?" Chopper's young voice rang from the back of the SUV.

"Probably, but we shouldn't," sighed Nami with a tear in her eye at the money dangling just out of reach. She knew Chopper was referring to that newspaper article that had interviewed Lex Luthor, who urged the former Cherry Blossom Medical to come out of hiding 'from fear of Superman's brutal and illegal actions,' and do just that. Truthfully, the fact the bald man was suggesting it was enough to make her wary. 'Dr. Mikan' had met the billionaire a few times at charity events, and something had vaguely unnerved her about him.

Still, it had been entertaining watching 'Glorious' Godfrey lambast the League on his talk show. Particular phrases stood out, like 'hypocrisy,' 'criminal,' 'vigilantes,' or accusing them of being jealous of others being put into a good light. Of course, when he had also tried to blame them for the rising divorce rate, Nami had started to find Godfrey a bit ridiculous. _Amateur. If you want to play people, you've got to get better material._

"Captain's Orders," Zoro grunted, swiping the steering wheel to send them into oncoming traffic.

"Zoro—!" screeched Nami, about to wrest control of the vehicle with her own steering wheel, but he cut her off. "Don't worry!" he snapped when he made another sharp turn to take them into a side alley, missing a truck by millimeters.

"If we were suing the League, we wouldn't need Zoro to drive," whimpered Chopper, glad he had not seen Zoro's most recent near-collision. Alas, he could still hear Nami's panicked screams while the plain white van violently swerved about. He was seated safely in the back, where no one would catch sight of their doctor's distinct appearance, and so that he remained blissfully ignorant of Zoro's suicidal stunts.

It had been with severe trepidation that they had let Zoro be the driver, and only after Franky had added in a variety of safety features, including the ability to take control of it. The reason they risked this, was because it allowed them to tap into his ability to wander wildly without any regard to logic or geography. When Zoro got lost, he got _lost_ , making sure their routes were utterly unpredictable.

As for the constant near heart-attacks while Zoro was at the wheel . . . well, they were all young with good hearts. Except Brook, who was old and had no heart anyways, but that didn't stop him from clutching his breastbone in terror when Zoro was at the wheel— while adding new skull jokes to his arsenal . . .

(Both Franky and Jinbe were too heavy to drive in anything except Franky's custom vehicles. The cyborg was the only one allowed to drive his enormous babies; sporting such massive horsepower he bragged they would soon need a new measuring system).

It was not as bad as it sounded of course. They had endured worse in the New World.

Probably.

The reason they were risking life and limb, was that unfortunately the Straw Hats always had a need for more money, a necessity that had been further aggravated by the loss of Chopper's medical company. Despite everything Nami did, their expenses were immense. While they had a few remaining legitimate companies that were carefully hidden away, it was not enough. Finding and creating the resources for Franky to create a portal back home (by far the largest drain), sustaining her crew of lovable lunatics while laying low, along with their other _projects_ , quickly burned through their income. Hence the regular need to steal stuff to maintain their capital. Aside from the robberies for Franky's work. Or heists for other stuff to help lay a false trail so no one realized what it was they were really after.

They had stolen a lot of stuff in only a few short months.

Thus, Chopper and Nami found themselves doing heists with Zoro again. In preparation, Nami had (temporarily) disabled his brand new cybernetic eye's functions, specifically the ones designed to prevent him getting lost. _Of course, once we get back home, we'll lose the GPS and automatic directions. After all, there'll be no satellites there_ , she mourned as they drove down the alley way.

Not that she would miss the competition in mapping the world.

They had chosen this city by having Luffy throw a dart at a map without looking at it, and traveled to the closest location indicated. Now Zoro was randomly driving them throughout the city until they found something worth stealing from. Finally, his ability to get lost was doing some good, after all the headaches he had caused.

"Captain's Orders," Zoro repeated. "Taking them to court would risk exposing ourselves, and these heroes are too crafty to not take advantage of that. We can do whatever it takes to get back home, including robbing whatever we have to. But we aren't to involve the Justice League in any shape or form, otherwise they, or someone worse, might follow us back. Any and all contact between our world and theirs begins and ends entirely on our terms. Period."

"Yes, we know," sighed Chopper and Nami in stereo. The two universes were similar enough to each other for people from either one to adapt to what they discovered . . . yet were still too alien to each other for the consequences to be anything but catastrophic. Even if the League was on the level, there were too many 'supervillains' here who –if they learnt how to access a new planet—would leap at the opportunity to wreak havoc upon the Blue Seas or Grand Line. And that was without the World Government getting involved. Just last night, Nami had been tormented by a nightmare where the marines had discovered how to produce nuclear bombs…

"Just keep driving and don't get us killed," she gruffly told Zoro.

"Tch," he grunted back.

 **!JUSTICE!**

With ease from far too much practice, Alfred continued his check-up of Master Wayne.

They were in the Batcave, the gloom and titular bats kept away with powerful lights. The mini-hospital was also pointedly away from the Batcomputer, or anything else any patients might try working on when they were supposed to be resting. His charge was laid out on the medical bed, his Batman uniform conspicuously absent.

"Well, Alfred?" Batman casually asked, being far more at ease with the man who had basically raised him.

And routinely patched him back together while admonishing him.

"It appears that Cherry Blossom's medicine will indeed allow you to recover quicker, so that you can go out and get shot and stabbed more often," the butler dryly noted, while packing up his various instruments. "Your internal injuries have healed in record time. Remarkable."

With a light grunt, Batman turned onto his stomach, revealing a back riddled with scars. "Yes. Can you apply more of the anti-scar lotions?"

"Certainly, Master Bruce. All the better for you to attend beach and pool parties where you do the best to ignore the women around you," Alfred said as he got the bottles.

"Like you'd want me to be involved with the kind of people who go to those of events," Batman said with a slight smile. "But yes, it will be make it easier for me to deflect attention."

"Indeed. They must think it's a miracle you're even allowed out of the manor, given how you apparently keep attempting extreme sports while being so accident prone. As for the young ladies in question who you keep lying to, at this point _any_ women in your life would seem an improvement. Although if I must be picky, I'd prefer one who doesn't keep trying to kill or rob you."

Despite his biting words, Alfred's touch was delicate as he smoothed in creams that would make the myriad of scars from fighting crime, simply disappear.

Or at least remain under the surface, alongside all of the deeper ones he feared would never fade from the man he thought of as a son.

Distracting himself, the Englishman changed the topic. "I'm glad to see so many companies are producing similar products now."

"Yes," Batman's smile was larger now. "And because they're on the public domain and were initially so cheap, it's keeping the price down. Even Luthor's having to do it. Everyone will also be rushing to try and improve them as well. Wayne Enterprises is working on an automated platform for applying the stronger salves in an emergency, since they can treat injuries that previously only full surgery could handle. It won't solve everything, but it might be enough to keep people alive when there aren't enough doctors around to save them."

"Personally," Alfred noted with a touch of admiration, "what impresses me is how much of it seems to have grown out of herbal remedies. Almost a step back from all of the complicated chemicals or cell research. It's really thrown the medical industry into a loop."

He smirked as Batman gave a dissatisfied grunt at that. Ever since his failed infiltration of the company, the latter had been pouring over various reports on the medical treatments, until Alfred spotted what all of those scientists –and yes, possibly Batman himself— had been trying to deny: that the brilliant breakthroughs involved a step _back_ in medical science. Ergo, Batman's theory that the 'pirates' had found a cache of advanced technology –at least in regards to this— was possibly inaccurate.

The actions of Black Foot and his compatriots, and their continued silence were still highly suspicious however. The Dark Knight knew that whatever they were up to, it was not good.

 **!JUSTICE!**

A while later, also deep underground, Nami and Zoro were following Chopper, who had gone on ahead as they committed their newest heist.

"My blades are going to go dull at this rate," the swordsman sulked while holding his flashlight. "You should've gotten the stupid cook to do this. He's the one who cost us all that money."

Truthfully, there were others Zoro could have done this with, or he could have spent his time training, but he had missed the other two. They had been so busy lately with Chopper's pet project.

He would just rather have his intestines slowly pulled out by a rusty hook than admit it.

"Oh pipe down!" Nami snapped. "You know he made the right choice. Besides, with our luck, you'll be able to fight the Justice League any day now. And that's not a good thing!" she added with barred fangs at the bloodthirsty grin her friend sported.

Chopper said nothing as he overheard them bickering, choosing to focus on his job. He had been a little uncomfortable when they had first started stealing, if eventually accepting it as part of being a pirate. Plus, he was far too smart to risk angering Nami by complaining about 'appropriating' money she viewed as rightfully hers. She was scary like that.

Not that he would have it any other way.

The books on psychology Chopper had been reading made him wonder if his crew was odder than the norm. Although, he was pretty positive that he was not the right person to judge. 'Normal' was not something anyone had ever used to describe the reindeer-human hybrid with a blue nose.

Silence fell as they continued down the rough tunnel. Eventually, Nami admitted her own impatience. "How much farther?"

"Shouldn't be much longer."

They kept moving, before Nami spoke up again. "So what was that movie _300_ about anyways?"

Now Zoro's grin was of appreciation. "People fighting to the death to protect those precious to them, never turning their backs. Eh, there was some stupid political stuff too, though I just fast forwarded through it."

Nami sighed, yet did not otherwise comment.

"What did you watch last night?" he asked, hoping that talking would help her calm down a bit. Neither particularly liked their current, tight circumstances.  
"The news, particularly the marketing stuff," she lustfully grinned, before giving a superior look. " _And_ the weather forecast! Bunch of amateurs!"

He scoffed in agreement; he would trust Nami's judgment any day. Then he belatedly remembered that he had forgotten to turn his new eye back on. For some reason, the Witch had told him to turn it off before starting all of this, muttering about using how he, Zoro, kept getting lost. Ridiculous.

Pressing his finger against the artificial eyeball for a count to three, it rebooted, and he checked their GPS location, and with precise blinking of his eyelid, activated the various filters to confirm with his 'own eye,' so to speak. "Just another few ship-lengths."  
"Finally!"

A few minutes later they caught up to Chopper, and were relieved to be able to stand up straight after walking hunched over through the short tunnel. Their doctor was already preparing for the next stage, including setting up some portable lights. This was not the bulky, pill-shaped form he had worn when Batman had broken into his laboratory however. Now Chopper was thin and lanky, with oversized paws and long sharp hooves, and a mane of hair on his back. Most distinctively, the doctor sported a truly massive pair of antlers on his head, easily as long as his body.

They were deep underground, with Zoro and Nami having just walked through dark and confining tunnels their resident reindeer had just effortlessly dug in his Horn Point mode. While waiting for them, he had expanded the endpoint so that his friends exited into a fairly spacious cavern for them to operate within. On the ceiling, a distinctive patch of metal was visible.

What followed was an example of precise, well-oiled teamwork, despite how they had done no rehearsals for this particular operation. It was less that they had done this together so often lately, and more that they just knew each other that well.

Using the various functions in his new, burning red eye to help, Zoro looked up, drew his black blade, and made three quick cuts into the steel ceiling.

Succumbing to gravity, the large triangle fell right down into the massive hands of Chopper's enormously muscular Heavy Point. Gently he placed the weight down, and they all looked up the dim hole.

A moment later they all leapt up into the bank vault, securely locked up for the night. It was kept deep beneath the surface, accessible only by a single elevator, and surrounded by metal walls to resist all but the most determined attacks. Heat and motion sensor alarms were also present, but the Straw Hats were unimpressed as they scooped up bundles of money into bags.

There were no cameras for budget reasons, as Zoro's new x-ray vision had confirmed. Otherwise they would have used one of Nami's tools to short them out.

In under a minute they were dropping back into the hole. There had been so much inside, that instead of letting the men do all the heavy lifting, even Nami sported a massive bag of cash on her back.

The second they hit dirt, Chopper hoisted the floor of the bank back up, holding it in place. So smooth was Zoro's cut, once the metal triangle was back in place, there was no visible seam.

Standing on her furry friend's shoulders to reach, Nami applied a super-glue that Usopp had invented, sticking the safe floor in place. Meanwhile, Zoro helpfully extended metal support beams he had been carrying on his back to support their former 'door,' reducing any chances of investigators figuring out how they had done it.

And if it failed? Who cared? Let the police come after them.

The mission was a success, with more money for Nami to cuddle with before investing it for their various operations.

Total time elapsed?

Thirty seconds choosing a random city via Luffy throwing a dart at a map of the USA.

Driving time to the city: fourteen hours and thirty-eight minutes, with Nami and Chopper crying tears of joy at how Zoro's new eye had saved several days of travel time, while the man scoffed in disgust.

Then they had told Zoro to turn off his GPS, and randomly drive around the city until they found something of interest. Even with planned heists, for materials for Franky, they relied upon the man's wild and unnatural 'walks' to ensure it was as impossible to track them as it was to predict where they would rob next.

Travel time within the city: two hours, seven minutes, until they passed by the bank and decided it would do.

Fifteen minutes to find a place to start digging from (breaking into an apartment building basement).

Ten minutes to dig in, rob the place, and get back.

"Keeping a low profile is a pain," Nami groaned, glancing down at her dirty and fully covering clothes. "Still, I guess it's worth it," she grinned next, feeling the heavy weight of the bag on her back.

Without a care in the world, they lugged the money back to their most recent base. As they drove, Nami schemed on how they would use it to make even more, so they could return to the New World and continue sailing in search of their dreams.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Luffy hopped out of his personal seat in the TV room. Everything was a patent Franky SUPER CreationTM , from the chair stylized to look like the masthead of the _Thousand Sunny_ , to the 10meter by 10meter TV screen, adjustable to accommodate each individual film.

He was alone, which was a bit unusual for the Straw Hat Captain, but he had been watching a Yu-Gi-Oh marathon. It was so awesome! Every episode with cool monsters, tension, surprise moves, and best of all it never seemed to end!

Sadly, Usopp and Chopper were the only other ones who seemed to appreciate it, and they were out stealing stuff. The others claimed it 'dragged on,' 'made no sense,' and other such nonsense. So they usually found something else to do while Luffy watched.

Regardless, Luffy had been on his own for long enough, and decided it was high time to be with his nakama.

Feeling out with his haki, Luffy took stock of the situation.

Zoro, Nami, and Chopper were not back yet, which meant no fun there.

By the feel of it, Sanji and Jinbe were sparring, so best let them be. They took training seriously after all. Worst of all, this also meant Sanji was too busy to make food.

Franky was busy with what he hoped was a breakthrough. Best to leave him alone.

Usopp was with Brook, who had a performance soon. _Hmm . . . what time was it again? Robin would know._ With that in mind, he strolled out of the room and upstairs to her office.

He found her seated in front of her desk, and immediately frowned in concern. In terms of getting home, Luffy had already done his job as Captain so far: figure out a plan, and get the right people on it. Punch his nakama's enemies as necessary.

Robin had been particularly invaluable, having spent the majority of her childhood growing up in the underworld back home, until rising to become the vice-president who managed the day-to-day business of a secret crime syndicate that had stretched across Paradise, with significant influence within the Blues to boot.

Now however, she was almost hidden behind stacks of paper.

"Oh, hello Luffy," Robin smiled. She was glad to see him, yet also knew that this paperwork needed to be completed sooner rather than later. Duplicates of her arms grew out of the table to grab the majority of her paperwork to shuffle it out of sight. "Don't worry," she reassured him. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the remaining sheets, still upset that she was so overworked.

"Oh, fu fu fu fu," she delicately laughed. "Sanji's been donating money to various food banks, but doesn't want Nami to know."

"Shi shi shi shi," Luffy chortled back. "She'd hit him. But she'd also understand and do nothing to stop it." Indeed, although they never spoke about it, and he had never bothered to listen to her past (since it was irrelevant, and she appreciated that), Luffy knew that Nami was more familiar with the desperation of being poor and hungry than most. "Anyone else doing something like that?"

"Oh now, Captain," Robin said formally as a light reprimand. "You know the others wouldn't appreciate me tattling." Such as how whenever he thought no one was looking, manly Zoro would slip orphanages some of the money he was responsible for.

The social support systems present in this world were one of the things they did appreciate about it. The closest equivalent to them back home, was joining the Navy to earn a roof overhead and three square meals a day.

The recruiters forbore to mention the mandatory indoctrination and death.

Robin thought she had pulled it off, but then Luffy's attention focused back on her and she knew she had failed to distract him. He always saw right through her.

"Robin, you've been keeping up with your training, right?"

"Of course," she replied, already knowing where this was going.

"But you're also doing all this stuff?"

"Yes."

With a sigh of exasperation, Luffy flung out his arm with casual ease, and it stretched so that he grabbed her own just about the elbow. "Okay then," he said with a large grin, "we've got to get you out for some fun!"

"That sounds lovely, Luffy," she smiled as she let herself be pulled along by the younger man. Wherever he went, she would follow –and she did appreciate the breather. That job was always secondary to enjoying her life after all. "Where are we going?"  
"Brook's got another concert playing tonight, right?"

"Oh my," Robin continued to smile, happy she had figured it out. "That does sound lovely. Let's just let Jinbe and Sanji know before we leave. I believe our chef had a meal he wanted to run over to Usopp and Brook anyways, and we can grab a snack ourselves." Robin knew the refrigerator lock's newest combination code, specifically intended to keep Luffy out. Sanji changed it every few days –rolling dice for the numbers— after he had caught Luffy trying to (poorly) spy on him.

(He could not just break it open, because Sanji would automatically assume Luffy was guilty and start kicking him and stop making meat for a while, which was just mean.)

(Also, Franky had made some . . . improvements to security.)

"Yosh!" Luffy cried with joy. "And I got Usopp to make me some new fireworks that will be totally awesome!"

(Even though Usopp had refused to have them depict Luffy eating meat, or a big piece of meat in the sky, or their ship . . . or their Jolly Roger . . . or declaring Luffy would be the King of Pirates. Usopp had been more willing to entertain the possibility of a cool dinosaur, or robot, or dinosaur robot however).

"I can't wait," Robin answered with surprise and anticipation. She had not known about that, and whatever the tinkerer Usopp had designed, and deemed safe in his overly-cautious manner, she knew they would be breathtaking. _Maybe the lights drawing a picture of a man being eaten by kittens? Or a dragon that will swoop down to terrorize the crowd? Maybe it'll look like Ryunosuke?_ she fondly thought.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Off in Central City, a certain redhead named Wally West opened his letter with glee. He had received it a few days ago, but it had gotten buried beneath some dirty laundry when he been distracted by the fliers listing what foods were on sale.

"Sweet! I won! Tickets to the Soul King concert! Ooh, and just enough for me and the rest of the League!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **WOW! I just want to say to you all, thanks for your incredible support with this fic! Glad it is proving so popular! :-D**

 **For those that remembered, yes, this chapter was supposed to be called "The Soul King," but I chose to split it in two because a) my plans for that got ahead of me and what I had already written would have at the very least doubled the length of this chapter, and b) you guys raised some really good points about the legality of what happened in chapter one. It really is shocking how much the law gets disregarded in the DCAU. Should make it more interesting for my plans with Cadmus ;-)**

 **I promise you however, next chapter you will get the Soul King scenes you were expecting.**

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 **Next chapter: 'Heart and Soul'**

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Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	4. Heart and Soul

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories! Additional credit to MasterQwertster for being the one to create this wonderful new story image, and to both of them for helping write the song lyrics.

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Justice

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Chapter 4: Heart and Soul

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 _Previously:_

 _While unable to make any progress in tracking down the Straw Hat Pirates, Batman voices his suspicions that they are the ones responsible for a spree of high-profile thefts. Since these crimes left no clues behind, the rest of the League is skeptical in light of the lack of evidence. Unbeknownst to them, only a few weeks after the fall of Cherry Blossom Medical, Nami, Chopper, and Zoro effortlessly rob a bank dry._

 _Meanwhile, bored and concerned that Robin has been working too hard, Luffy decided to take her to the upcoming 'Soul King' concert. By coincidence, Flash won a contest for tickets to the exact same concert._

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 **One thing to let you readers know, is that my timeline will not be exactly the same as that of the TV show. By about halfway through the series, Shayera said she had been on Earth for 5 years. Given how fast the Straw Hats can get stronger, I will be adjusting it so that a lot less time passes between episodes, as well as assuming she spent a good chunk of that time from before joining the Justice League.**

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"—and that's everything," Flash beamed as he finished his personal report of the mission he had just completed.

"You were sloppy," Batman all-but snarled. "Ultra-Humanite would've escaped if not for Superman, and that's all because you were so busy goofing off, that you let your guard down."

The rest of the League hung back, pretending to ignore the dressing down as Flash wilted. It was not pretty, but their friend _had_ gotten too cocky. He had been too busy harassing and irritating the albino gorilla-humanoid, when he should have been punching him. Or failing that, paying attention while distracting the villain until reinforcements arrived for a safe arrest. Instead, Flash had been blindsided by one of the genius' booby-traps. If not for his incredible reflexes, he might have taken the full brunt of the attack.

Next time, he might not be so lucky.

On cue, Batman reached that topic. "—have a death wish? Because you could have died. Or gotten someone else killed. If you don't take this seriously—"

With a sigh, John shot Superman a look. "I'll do some more drills with him tomorrow. With," growing more stern, "an emphasis on ambushes." Not today though, not after Batman's ongoing verbal lashing.

Nodding, Superman offered, "Let us know if you want some help."

"Like maybe being one of the surprises," Hawkgirl playfully offered while hefting her mace.

"Remember, we want him intact afterwards," Superman said with a small grin, going along with the joke.

Then they noticed that it was quiet, as Batman strode over to a nearby computer console. Ever since he had voiced his theory that these new criminals were responsible for the rash of crimes the League had been investigating, he had been digging for clues, using Cherry Blossom Medical as a starting point.

The public backlash towards Superman and Batman's failed investigation, and subsequent devolvement of the company, and further 'miracle cures,' had been serious. Superman had been forced to have another interview with Lois Lane to further address the issue and the concerns that had been raised. Furthermore, the League made a public apology for how they had handled the situation, but stood by their reasons, if not their precise actions. That the 'pirates' had not come forward despite offers, through neutral parties, to discuss reparations and continuation of their research –with the caveat that it had to be verified it was legal— spoke volumes.

Promises had also been made by the League to cooperate closer with law enforcement, along with in-person meetings with various police chiefs. These get-togethers had already proven productive, and overall the majority of citizens appeared reassured.

Men like Lex Luthor, or 'Glorious' Godfrey, continued to try and undermine them of course, although that was no surprise. Proper reporters like Lois Lane were keeping an eye on the League as well, although Superman appreciated that she cared enough to speak up when she was concerned about what he was doing.

Giving Batman an once-over to see if his friend were making any progress, Superman turned his focus to the approaching Flash. The hero's shoulders were slumped over, clearly contrite.

"Sorry guys, I messed up."

"Just don't do it again. Keep alert, and don't fool around, and we'll all be fine," John said, not unkindly.

Diana put a reassuring hand on the Speedster's shoulder. "You're a good man and a fine warrior Flash, we're honoured to have you by our side. You just need to be a little more careful."

In a, well, flash, the man straightened up with a grin plastered on his face. "Thanks Dee! I'll make you all proud."

"You already do," she promised.  
He snapped his fingers. "Say, what're you're plans for the evening?"

"Nothing much," she said, blinking in surprise as he changed topics on a dime. _He's planning to ask me out again, isn't he?_ she internally sighed. She thought he had gotten the message, and had only started flirting for the fun of it, as a way to slip in some jokes, except this seemed more genuine.

"Well," out of nowhere Flash pulled out a handful of slips of paper, "I won a bunch of tickets for all of us to go to the Soul King musical concert tonight! Anyone interested in going?"

"I'd love to," Diana smiled, happy for her friend on several levels.

John Stewart hesitated for a moment. Concerts were not really his thing. Yet ever since they had gotten over their initial difficulties working as a team, and taking down Gorilla Grodd together, they had become good friends. Even more importantly, when his own fellow Green Lanterns had assumed him to be a mass murderer, the Flash had been the one to stick up for John the most. Risking his own life as his defense lawyer in that trial. Taking the night off for some more bonding time could hardly hurt, right?

"I'll come too," he offered.

"Really?" Diana asked in surprise, before hastily clarifying. "Forgive me, I wouldn't have thought you and Flash would have similar tastes in music."

"That's one of the reasons the Soul King's so popular!" Flash grinned. "He plays all sorts of different instruments and types of music! He's not stuck with one particular style."

"And even his Rock and Roll stuff ain't half bad," John admitted. "Besides," and he turned off his ring to reveal his civilian clothes underneath, "I can go to the concession stands to get you guys something to eat." After all, while Diana did not have a secret identity that required wearing a mask, the Flash did, and she was still adjusting to 'Man's World.'

The smile on Flash's face was beautiful to behold.

"Hmph," Batman grunted in his best Scrooge impersonation.

"Something wrong, Batman?" Superman asked with fondness and a little exasperation.

"The Soul King is someone else I've been investigating."

"Oh come one! Why!?" Flash cried. "Is it because he's a skeleton?"

"A skeleton!?" Diana hissed, warry of the undead. Instantly she and the others assumed this was the cause of Batman's concern.

"Walking, talking, nine-foot skeleton who can play any music you please," John flatly told her. "Goes by the name, Brook Rumbar. No one knows if it's an illusion, fancy mask, or the real thing. He just laughs when people ask. Although he isn't a star just because of that trick, he really is fantastic at what he does. Plays all sorts of instruments, keeps bringing out brand new songs. Even stopped one concert halfway through a song, because something a fan yelled gave him inspiration, and he would not continue playing until he and the audience had worked out the new lyrics. I hear the result was one of his best compositions ever, and the police were nearly mobbed by the fans afterwards.

Diana was clearly caught between being interested, or concerned about going to this event now, so John quickly reassured her further. "I'm sure you like it. It's all appropriate. Nothing about worshiping the Grim Reaper or anything."

"Hah! Not in those outfits!" Flash barked. "He wears an afro, awesome sunglasses, and goes around in neon clothing. As far away from a cloak and scythe as you can get.

"Not to say there haven't been oodles of conspiracy theories about him. The ones that he was resurrected for vengeance have died out, but others say he's an emissary of peace, or a musician who came back from beyond the grave—they just can't figure out who. Or that he was badly burnt and only survived because of his powers, was caught by some sort of radiation, you get the idea."

Now Diana was looking very confused by this latest oddity of Man's World.

John continued to describe the Soul King, with the others looking on in interest. Clearly this Brook Rumbar was something special, if even the serious John Stewart had picked up so much. Clark was rather embarrassed he had missed how good the singer apparently was. "Although you wouldn't know it for his lyrics," Green Lantern went on, "a lot of his music is about freedom of choice and expression, but the rest is really well done too. The only references he does to his appearance are some corny jokes."

"They're hilarious!" defended Flash.

"I'll have to pass," Hawkgirl said with a touch of regret, before covering a yawn. "I need to get some rest." They all nodded in understanding, she had been doing some stakeouts on a major cartel while Batman dug into the criminals' backgrounds for any vulnerabilities.

"I'm busy too," Superman regretfully added. He did not elaborate, and they did not ask, correctly assuming it was related to his civilian life.

"I'll monitor things from the Watchtower," J'onn simply said. He was not comfortable enough with humans for this.

"Ahem!" grunted Batman, and for an _instant_ they all thought he might want to come to. Then their sanity returned.

Clearly they had gotten off topic.

Seeing he had their attention again, the Dark Knight elaborated. "As I said, I've looked into him, and not just because he's a meta-human. At first glance he's apparently harmless one whose musical talent is unconnected with any known power—"

"It's the power of the soul!" Flash cheekily interrupted.

Ignoring him, Batman went on. "And he has done some beneficial public awareness campaigns against drugs as well. Yet despite how benign his music appears, I've still kept an eye on him. My reason being that unlike other popular celebrities," yes, Batman spied on even them, while living on coffee to stay awake, "is that while he's making a lot of money, just like with Cherry Blossom Medical, I don't know what he's using it for."

"What does that have to do with anything?" J'onn asked, only to be met with a flat stare.

"If Batman doesn't know, then he's hiding something, and hiding it well," Superman explained, giving his friend a knowing look. "Except you haven't had the chance to look into it too deeply yet, have you? Nor do you think this is related to the Straw Hats."  
"That's right," Batman grudgingly admitted. "While it _is_ a lot of money unaccounted for, it's too different an approach from the Straw Hat's medical company, or those crimes I suspect them of."

"How much money?" the Man of Steel asked, making a private bet on the number.

And lost.

Big time.

"Well, if he's the most popular music entertainer right now, that would explain why he's making so much," deadpanned J'onn, while Superman and the humans looked stunned, obviously having a better appreciation of just how _much_ the apparent skeleton was rolling in.

"It's probably nothing serious," Batman admitted, "and I'll get to it when I can." He threw Flash in particular a glare. "But that doesn't mean you should barge in and draw attention!"

"We'll just keep an eye out," John promised, "and let sleeping lions lie for tonight."

Turning to Flash, he smiled. "Well, let's get going, Hot Shot."

Wisely, neither man mentioned to Diana about the tradition of women throwing their panties onto the stage, whenever the Soul King asked for them at the end.

Although he hated it when the men threw their own underwear.

They were also silently conspiring to not be anywhere close enough to the stage for her to see.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Brook, the 'Soul King' was humming to himself as he gave his lyrics one final try. A true artist never assumed it was perfect after all. Presently he was debating the proper pitch, and how slow the beat should be to emphasize a particular part.

~Never forget what Death left behind~  
~Nothing but bones for those still livin'~  
~You don't need eyes to see, you need only feelin'~

~Life is what you feel inside beatin'~

~Trust my eye sockets, I'm not blind~  
~'Cause Life is the gift that keeps on givin'~

~Love being aliiiiive~

Then to help drill it in while maintaining his catch-phrase while steadily deepening his voice:

~Bone, bone, bone, bone, nothing but boones~

"Oi, Brook!"

"Ah, Usopp," Brook said as his friend barged into the room. Despite his friend's wild eyes, he was only slightly concerned. His young friend could be quite excitable after all.  
"It's Luffy! He's just disappeared!" screeched Usopp.

"Oh, my."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Y'know, this really wasn't what I was expecting," Flash said aloud as he looked around.

Most concerts would have the stage in a public and popular location. For the Soul King's newest appearance however, he was staging it in an area full of empty buildings scattered around. While it helped the Flash lie low for now, and still wearing his bright red suit, it was still a surprise.

Princess Diana blended in well however with tasteful white slacks, and a purple sweater. "I overheard someone saying he specifically asked for this, to raise awareness for something," she replied. "There were a few theories, including renovating the place to boost up the local economy."

"Well, seems to be working," he grinned as he watched more fans go by. There were a lot of them, especially since the open stage meant people who could not get their hands on the tickets could still hang back and listen as the tunes drifted through the air. The numerous concession stands scattered about apparently helped make up for lost ticket revenue. Speaking of which . . .

"Here you go," John grunted as he came over with both arms trying to balance over a dozen popcorn bags and even more hot dogs and various drinks. Not wanting it to spill, Flash grabbed it all out of his friend's hands with practiced ease. "Thanks John," he beamed.

"No problem," John said, checking to make sure there were no stains on his street clothes. "Now I'll go back and get _our_ food and drinks."

"I'm just going to go use the lady's room," Diana said as she also drifted off.

Alone, Flash considered his options on how he should wait for them to get back. Given how so many people assumed that the Soul King's skeletal appearance was just a trick or gimmick, a lot of people were wearing costumes of their own, including superhero ones. _Can I just eat this in public? Hmm, no, my 'costume' is too good. Real snazzy even. I should try marketing it. Maybe slip a suit over Batman's when I see him next? That'd be so hilarious! But only if I got away in time. Maybe for April Fool's Day for some safety? How many days away is that?_ He was halfway through counting the number of days before he got himself back on track. _Alright no, best not out in public, but I'm sooooo hungry! Where could John and Diana find me?_

His eyes swiveled around from behind his cowl and found an interesting spot.

A single second had passed since Diana and John had left.

In a blur he ran up the side of a nearby building, expertly balancing his food, and came to a stop with a conspicuous screech as he braked. Sitting at the edge of the building, facing towards where the concert began, was a young man in a straw hat.

What really got Flash's attention though was how the guy was beside a pile of food that rivaled his own.

The teenager glanced over his shoulder, just as he swallowed a mouthful. "Hey," he said cheerfully.

"Hey," Flash returned the open-hearted grin. "Mind if I join you?"  
"Sure. Always nice to meet someone new."

"You got that right," Flash agreed, and plopped down beside him. "Have to say, you're the first person I've seen who appreciates food as much as I do." His arms blurred along with his jaw, and three hotdogs were consumed within two seconds.

"Awesome!" the stranger gasped, stars all but shining in his eyes. "That was so fast!" Then he looked a little competitive. "Watch this." Then he stuffed easily two dozen hotdogs into his mouth, the sides of his face somehow stretching to accommodate it. With a hefty swallow, it someone all went down his throat and disappeared without even being chewed.

"Impressive," Flash complimented, not at all put-out by that display of abnormal human physiology. He had seen weirder. Besides, it would be rude to point it out. "Except, what's the point if you don't take the time to chew it and enjoy the flavour."

"You mean you can still taste it despite eating so fast?" the young man wondered aloud, as if picking up tips from a fellow professional.

"Sure!" Flash boasted. Still, he chose to eat his next burger at a more sedate pace. "So what brings you here?" he asked. "Waiting for the concert to start?"

"Yep! I can't wait to hear Brook play again, he's fantastic."

"I know! And you never know what he's going to play next. Like your vest by the way." The teenager glanced down, it was a warm vest that had the Soul King's face on it.

"Oh yeah, I got this earlier today. Feel's weird having my musicians' face on my chest, but he seemed to like it."

"Your musician?" Flash repeated. It sounded a little absurd, yet it seemed like this stranger was being honest. Before he could press further, someone else spoke up from atop the roof.

"Luffy?" a deep, cultured woman's voice called.

"Ah, Robin," the young man cheerfully called. "There you are!"

"Here I am," the newcomer chuckled as she stepped into the light, and Flash fought to maintain his composure.

She had rich dark hair, and unusually wide, dark blue pupils that you could drown in. Her attire was what caught his attention first however, wearing a very tight jean vest that was unzipped most of the way to reveal that underneath was a massive bosom that was barely covered and clearly had no bra on. In fact, it seemed like the only other scrap of fabric she had was a tiny pair of jean shorts. Flash had no interest in staring at all her exposed flesh however, and it took him an instant to figure out why.

The way Princess Diana dressed might make some people accuse her of being indecent, even a prostitute or part of a related profession, except no one would ever dare say it to her face. They _could_ not. It was not the threat of her powers, but the personal aura she unconsciously emitted. An inherent part of her that was shared by this friend of Luffy's.

Confidence, sophistication, with a dash of intimidation that made a person instinctively know they were to treat Robin with respect.

Flash gave a low wolf-whistle and flashed a smile while meeting her eyes. "Wow. _Hello_ gorgeous."

What? It was polite for him. Certainly more than most men could manage when confronted with such beauty.

"My name," Flash began, but she had already started to cut him off at his first comment.  
"I know who you are," Robin smoothly said. "And Luffy already gave you my name." Inwardly she was both amused and mildly exasperated. Trust her Captain to accidently meet up with a member of the Justice League and have no idea who they were, _despite being in costume_.

Although, after everything they had gone through, in truth she was hardly unsurprised.

 _Nami's going to give him a beating._

 _Especially after the seven times she tried to teach him to recognize them all._

Luffy blinked in mild confusion, until he decided that if Robin was not going to elaborate, then she must have a reason. She was smart like that.

Flash was a little suspicious of these two for a few seconds, until he put it aside.

Well, a few seconds for other people. For himself, he had already gone over the conversation several times, made various interpretations of the duo's clothes and interactions, and decided they seemed nice. As for Robin's weird greeting, it was true that the Justice League had been on the news so much lately that she decided a formal greeting was unnecessary. Besides, Luffy seemed **_fun!_**

"So Brook works for you," Flash said again. "Must be pretty rich if he's decided to work for you."

"Who cares about the money," Luffy said with a dismissive wave of a hotdog before throwing it into his mouth. "It's his music that matters. Well, almost as much as what an awesome guy he is."

"Can't argue with you there," Flash agreed. "Does that mean—" Unfortunately he had jostled his food a little and a bag of popcorn started to fall. "Aw nuts," he groaned.

Then an arm stretched out and snagged it. Slightly bemused, Flash accepted the bag as Luffy's arm retracted and handed it back. "Careful, you shouldn't waste good food."

"I won't," Flash promised. _Huh, so he's definitely a metahuman. Oh well, it seems like a harmless power, and it would be beyond rude to pressure him about it._

They fell into a discussion about Brook's past performances. They even learnt they had attended a few at the same time, yet had sadly missed each other. It might be easy for people to dismiss Luffy as 'simple,' based upon his expression and horrible table manners as he stuffed food whole into his mouth, but it was clear to Flash there was a brain lurking under there—and not just because he himself could be messy and greedy with his food. Luffy had memorized every one of the Soul King concerts he had been to, including a fair chunk of the lyrics. Those he had not been to escaped him however.

"Well, if I wasn't there to enjoy it, then it's not important enough to remember," Luffy argued between mouthfuls of popcorn.

(Flash found it telling that they were _not_ talking about food, despite their mutual interest; they were able to fall into talking about less predictable topics with ease)

"They were important to other people," Flash lightly shot back, grabbing some of his own. "What about you, Robin?" he said to the woman quietly standing back. Flash respected that, and did not bother her. Nevertheless, he was a little curious about what her relationship with Luffy was. _Guess since he's a rich guy, she's his assistant?_ "Did you attend any?"

"Only a few," she confessed. "The reason Luffy even took me here was because he felt I was being too busy."

"Good for you," Flash grinned at her and then Luffy, giving the young man a small punch on the shoulder.

"All that work can't be healthy," Luffy solemnly decreed.

"Hah! Trying telling that to Bats," Flash chortled.

"Bats?" Luffy blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, y'know, Ba—"

Whatever else was cut off as an explosion went off a few blocks away. People were already running away in a panic.

In the blink of an eye, Luffy's remaining food was stuffed down his throat, and all of Flash's vanished in a blur of red. They both knew they would need the energy.

Without any further delay, Flash ran down the building to help, keeping his speed down so that the civilians sensibly running in the other direction would not be caught up by a slipstream. To his surprise, a glance over his shoulder showed Luffy keeping up.

Turning a corner, they saw Green Lantern fire another blast of green Will at another young man, who was wearing brown coveralls. His long nose and curly black hair shockingly familiar.

 _That's one of the Straw Hats!_ Flash gasped to himself, coming to a stop beside Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. How could he not recognize him after Batman forced him to memorize those mug shots made by J'onn and Superman?

To his dismay, Luffy came to a stop beside the criminal.

"Hey!" Luffy yelled. "Why're you attacking Usopp!?"

Glowering, Green Lantern took charge. "So you're with the Straw—" Then he processed how the newcomer had an _actual_ straw hat on his head. "You the guy in charge of your little gang?"

"I'm the Captain. Captain Monkey D. Luffy of the Straw Hat Pirates," Luffy glared back. "I'm going to be King of the Pirates!"

"What's that even mean?" growled Green Lantern in irritation.

Flash shot Wonder Woman a glance that screamed 'Please explain.' "I was just coming back when I spotted and tailed him," said Princess Diana. "After a few minutes, I saw John and waved him over, but then this man, Usopp, caught sight of us and tried to run. We engaged. Who's the other one?"

"Huh?" Luffy blinked. "You're with them, red guy?"

Briefly hesitating, Flash answered. "My name's Flash, and yeah I'm with the Justice League. Honestly, I thought you already knew that."

"And it didn't occur to you that the straw hat was suspicious?" Green Lantern sighed. "According to Batman and Superman, their so-called 'Jolly Roger' had that atop the skull."

"Hey!" Luffy yelled. "You don't mock someone's Pride like that!"

At that point, Robin appeared from around the corner to join them. "Careful, Captain. We don't need to tell them anything. And the one hovering in the air is called Green Lantern, and the other is Wonder Woman."

"Oh right. Thanks, Robin."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Luffy was confused and irritated. He had made a new friend and was having a good meal with them, but now it looked like they might have to fight. Hmm…

"Are you going to try and arrest us?" he asked. Best to be clear.

"Given what happened at Cherry Blossom Medical, are you surprised?" Green Lantern pointed out.

"You broke in! It was self-defense!" argued Usopp.

"You attacked someone publicly acknowledged as part of law enforcement, with enough force to hospitalize a normal man, without even saying anything!?" Green Lantern shot back.

Then Robin smoothly broke in. "Did you have a warrant then? Or do you even have one now?"

The implication that what they were doing might be illegal, briefly distracted Green Lantern. His teammate was undeterred however. "No," Wonder Woman admitted, but there was no give to her tone. "Nonetheless, you are hiding secrets, attacked one of our own, and chose to not deal with this legally afterwards when you were publicly given the opportunity. Not only do we have the authority to arrest you in earlier circumstances," especially given their no-kill policy, "but the authorities already want you to come in for questioning."

"Hmmm . . . " Luffy said again as he was visibly straining to remember something. "Didn't Sanji say something about Green Lantern?"

"Only about a dozen times," Usopp deadpanned. "According to him, he uses his Ring to fight with his own Will. That those green things he make _are_ his Will."

"Oh right! Now I remember! So they were wondering if it had anything to do with—"

"Luffy!" Usopp snapped.

"Oh right," Luffy stopped, feeling a little embarrassed at how he had nearly blurted out about—

"Don't even think about it, or you'll still say it," warned Usopp.

Fortunately, Luffy got the message.

What the more cerebral members of the crew wondered (and even Luffy and Zoro) was if Green Lantern's power had any relation to haki. If so, the possibilities were limitless if they could harness that, opening up a whole new 'colour' to haki.

Alternatively, it was another thing totally unique to this mostly-lame universe.

"Eh, probably doesn't matter," Luffy said aloud.

"So are you going to come peacefully?" Wonder Woman asked.

 _Huh, Flash seems a little upset_ , Luffy noted. _He shouldn't._ _It's not like anyone's in any real trouble_. Then he turned his attention back to the topic at hand. "Nah, we don't want you asking us any questions about all of those banks, labs, and museums we've been robbing."

. . .

"Luuuuffy," Usopp hissed, while Robin's face was a neutral mask. From that, and how she had crossed her arms, Luffy knew this meant she was ready to fight. _But why? I just . . . oh._ "I mean, never mind I was just kidding," Luffy lied, eyes looking away from Flash and the others so they could not figure it out.

"You're terrible at lying," Wonder Woman flatly told him.

 _Dang it!_

"But why do all that if you were already making so much money with your medical company and this musical business?"

Sticking his finger up his nose, Luffy blankly explained. "It wasn't enough. And sometimes we need special stuff. I don't know what though, I can't remember their names."

Usopp sighed as he pulled out his special slingshot, while slowly putting his hand into his shoulder bag. "Luffy, please, just stop."

"Yeah, I know," his Captain assured him, eyes now hardening. _I don't know enough to cause any more trouble, except I want to go somewhere else now, and they look like they'll stop us_. "Sorry, we really can't let you arrest us. Besides, you're the Justice League, and pirates don't get along with Justice. Even if you guys are heroes."

"You see a distinction between following Justice, and being heroes?" Wonder Woman asked in surprise.

"Of course," Luffy said, as if it were obvious. Then he snapped his fingers as inspiration hit. "I know! You can prove you're really heroes by sharing your meat with us!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Wonder Woman blinked in surprise. "You want us to give you meat?"

"Yeah! If you're heroes, then that means you've got to give us meat!"

"He's just trying to distract us," Green Lantern growled.

"And I'm not giving up any of my burgers to anyone who asks that rudely," Flash added. "You didn't even say please!"

Inside, Flash's mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this mess. _I just_ know _that Luffy's a great guy. I mean, look at him! Couldn't even tell a lie to save his life! Hmm, maybe that bit about meat's just a joke? Something to ease the tension? Alrighty then, how about I . . ._

Like a bullet he took off, moving so fast from a flat start that Luffy was only just beginning to move, letting Flash grab a certain something.

A certain straw hat.

"Look," the hero lightly said, holding it casually in one hand. "How about we all just settle down, and talk this over."

Time stood still.

Robin's eyes widened in disbelief, before smirking at the inevitable.

Usopp flinched, and then did the same. "Well now, now you people have gone and done it. Hope you aren't particularly attached to Flash."

" **Second Gear!** "

 **!JUSTICE!**

Chaos broke out as Flash disappeared with a yelp, a steaming pink fury after him. Before the heroes could act, the long-nosed one threw down a smoke bomb.

Green Lantern took to the air to scout them out, while Wonder Woman boldly strode into the smoke. _Let them see me as vulnerable_ , she coolly thought. It was almost amusing, the assumptions men made when they heard she came from an island inhabited solely by woman. Princess Diana had not grown up indulging male fantasies, she had been raised to relentless training in the art of war and peace.

And yes, the Amazons knew they were not mutually exclusive, and yes, they preferred the latter.

(She also studied less exciting things like music, art, philosophy, and other such pleasures)

Predictably, a faint whistle reached her ears, and she ducked beneath some sort of projectile. _Larger and slower than a bullet, but still pretty quick_ , she assessed. _Fired from over there._

While slower than the Flash, she rocketed towards her target as fast and unstoppable as a freight train—

Something grabbed her.

Reflexively she broke loose but then something else slapped her aside even as she was already off course and she went slamming into a building. Relentlessly, Diana stood up from amongst the rubble, aware that her attacker had succeeded in deflecting her, and that the sniper had assuredly disappeared again. Standing before her as the smoke cleared, was the woman amongst the criminals. Her arms were crossed in front of her, yet Diana keenly saw the slight shake to them as if they were somehow hurt. _Interesting. So it was her that somehow grabbed and hit me?_

"Why are you doing this?" the princess asked. Whoever these people were, their behaviour was atypical. "You're not like the people we usually deal with. Your operations we've uncovered so far are legitimate and even genuinely helpful. Yet at the same time, you're hiding something that you're so afraid for, that you'll respond to violence so easily."

Robin smirked at that. "That genuinely is how we handle things, yes." Within however, her mind was operating with a cool detachment as she assessed the situation. After all, she had used their intelligence network to ruthlessly assess the power of the Justice League, and was unsure if she could triumph. Unfortunately, in saving Usopp from being crushed, Robin had carelessly wrenched several arm muscles, putting her at a disadvantage. The Flower-Flower Fruit's strength lay in surprise, imagination, and leverage, not raw power. _And this injury complicates things, but I still have tricks to play. Besides, what would I accomplish by snapping her spine and leaving her lying in the dirt? Except of course to bring down upon us the full, 'righteous' wrath of the Justice League, and a world that loves them more than is wise._

 _For all that Luffy wants his Hat back and to teach Flash a lesson, I don't think he's really in the mood to start a war._

 _Yet._

"We have issues with those in authority," Robin confessed, still smiling. "As for you and your merry band, we don't really have any real issue with you. For now. You honestly seem to be doing your best to clean up this world. Nonetheless, we already know where this will end. You will continue to tell people what is lawful and just, until it's only you that makes that final decision. Eventually your own power will corrupt you."

"I haven't been in Man's World for long," Diana scoffed, "yet even a child could tell you're trying to make yourselves appear to be the victims. Your friends attacked Batman the moment you found him inside your lab, never trying to talk it out. And now your own leader has confessed you are responsible for even more severe crimes."

"Sanji just decided to cut to the chase," Robin cheerfully agreed. "Once you discovered our other activities, you would be fighting us anyways. Although that wasn't his motivation. We just really don't want anything to do with you. And you were on our property without permission, and there really is only one answer to that."

 _She's stalling_ , Diana knew, but let it continue. She was confident that her teammates could handle the others, certainly Green Lantern against the one named Usopp. Once John was done, they could mop up the rest. As it was, she was getting some useful insight. She did not think this pirate was lying, and doubtless Batman could get something more concrete out of these hints. Finally, she was still unsure about this stranger's powers.

But if there was the slightest distraction . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

Usopp tried to not scream in terror as he ran, giving his Black Kabuto a little water to make it grow to give him greater range. Around him flashed blasts of green as up in the air that insufferable Green Lantern fired down on him. _Oh why oh why are we having to fight!? Why couldn't we have made a deal with them!? I don't even have my full arsenal with me tonight!_

Truthfully, he knew the reason. Nami, Sanji, Brook, Jinbe, Franky, Robin and him had all given some thought to how they would handle the appearance of the League in one of their operations, but had in the end decided there was no point in trying to play a cover story. As soon as Luffy got involved –and yes, as Captain they were obligated to include him— it would all just fall apart, and they would be fighting anyways. Far better to spend their time on plans that actually had a prayer of working.

Which meant that Usopp had spent several restless nights trying to figure out how to best Green Lantern.

Moving as fast as he could over the ground, Usopp twisted his body to rapidly fire back, eyes locked on target even as he instantaneously computed wind trajectory, the pattern of incoming fire that might hit his own, movements of the Green Lantern, even the supposedly miniscule influence of the explosions happening around him, while he ran as if the most terrifying things in human existence were after him.

(Examples include: running like Sanji was after him for ruining a dessert meant for Nami and Robin; Nami if you lost her money; Zoro if Usopp accidently spilled the swordsman's sake; etcetera)

Unerringly, Usopp unleashed a barrage of flash bangs and smoke bombs, followed up by a layer of explosives to strip away that shield before the Pop Greens finished the job without killing the hero.

. . . Aside from the fact he was over a hundred meters up in the air.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Flash saw the world in slow motion. All the time.

For everything that everyone else saw, the speedster had already seen, processed, and made several thoughts about it. This was invaluable as a hero, since he could spend far more time than 'normal' people to consider a problem. More importantly, it was why he was able to move at such high velocity without hurting himself, and what allowed him to improvise so smoothly even in the heat of battle.

Not that he was necessarily having serious thoughts all the time of course. Even for him, life went by too fast to waste a chance to smell the roses. Or flirt with a pretty girl. Or have a detailed internal debate on what exactly he was going to have for lunch. He could even just be letting his mind wander to whatever topic came up.

In essence, despite how Flash could 'think' so much more than he had before gaining his power, he spent most of his time considering stuff people might label as 'unimportant and mundane.' They might even describe it as stupid, given the dangerous lifestyle he lived. That he was wasting his intellect and potential, when he could be busy learning and planning. The Scarlet Speedster was unconcerned however; those same powers allowed him to rely upon rapid improvisation to triumph, adapting to any surprise threats as necessary.

Besides, if the world moved slowly for him compared to everyone else, that meant he had to find some way to entertain himself. If he chose to be serious all the time, he would be as nutso as Batman!

Anyways . . .

The point was that because of this lack of focus (which occasionally occurred even during fights), unless Flash decided to get serious, he tended to be too relaxed, too impulsive, and too cocky.

He was not feeling cocky right now. The steaming pink-tinged fury behind him was not as fast as he was, yet was still entirely too quick for comfort.

"RAAAAAH! GIVE ME BACK MY HAT!"

Flash ducked and dodged around fists and feet, incapable of building up enough momentum as he ran for his life from what was probably – _Hopefully!_ — the second fastest human alive. _Can't build up momentum to go faster!_ he thought as he braked to avoid another stretching arm whose fist upon impact somehow left a ten-foot crater into the ground. _This guy's strength is no joke either!_ Flash realized, understanding that they had _seriously_ underestimated these criminals.

Personally, the speedster thought this was an understandable mistake, since nearly every other super-villain with this much power would have already dramatically revealed themselves, usually by challenging Superman to a fight in broad daylight. This low-key approach was just another line on a growing list of reasons the Flash was quickly coming up with on why the League should be worried.

He shook that thought off and fully focused upon the task at hand. He could still win this, he was a member of the Justice League, who had survived to take on the most dangerous threats to the planet for a _reason_. All he needed was the chance to retake the initiative so that he could use his powers to their fullest.

 _I'd like to keep thinking of him as a friend, even if he's a criminal, but he's making it hard. I mean, why the fixation on his hat? Yes, it is on the Jolly Roger, yet what is it about it that makes it so precious?_

 _Unimportant. I've got to concentrate._

 _Somehow he's more experienced at this sort of high-speed fighting than I, except I've still got an advantage._ Flinging out his arm, "You want your hat so bad!? Go get it!"

His attacker immediately broke off to go catch the flying hat, and with that momentary distraction, Flash turned around to attack, building up enough speed to generate a punch even Superman would feel.

A bare palm caught his fist as if the rubbery body were suddenly steel, and as a stunned Flash looked at his opponent, the man's eyes were shadowed by the hat that was somehow back on his head. _Luffy's_ fist sent the superhero crashing across the pavement, and into blissful unconsciousness.

 **!JUSTICE!**

John Stewart scowled as another explosion harmlessly flared over his green shield of manifested willpower. _Those pack a punch_ , he thought, checking his Ring's power reserves. While nothing serious, they were definitely more than he was used to. More than any conventional weaponry he had faced on Earth before. _Still, as long as I stay focused, and if this is all he can manage, then he's not a threat._

A powerful and _sustained_ barrage was another story. A continuous beam of energy for instance could begin to overwhelm Green Lantern's concentration, which was something he was careful not to advertise. Nonetheless, right now there was enough of a gap between each shot for him to have a short, yet decisive, 'breather.'

The Guardians of the Universe had designed the Green Lantern Rings to be the ultimate weapons after all.

It had turned into a snipers' duel, with Green Lantern having superior firepower, and a position in the sky—although he was unwilling to tap into his full potential, since that would tear up entire parts of the city. Even if all of the civilians had all safely evacuated, he did not want to escalate it to outright destroying all this property.

The rest of the League had been called, but they would not be able to make it in time in the Javelins—traveling from an orbital space station took time. There had been glimpses of flashing lights from police sirens, so they would be helping evacuate people, since the sight of Green Lantern's power and these explosions would clue them in that this was too dangerous to get mixed up in.

The 'pirate' had stealth as he moved through the abandoned buildings, and ran fast enough to strongly suggest he was enhanced as well. Once it had become clear his explosives could not penetrate, and that his weird mutant plants –which eerily reminded Stewart of reports on Poison Ivy— just slid off and fell back down, the young man had been surprisingly quiet. _Given his earlier boasts, those wolves made of leaves were probably his trump card_ , he theorized. _They certainly looked intimidating enough._ But as an ex-marine, Stewart was a believer in staying mobile. He had dodged or shot them all down with blasts of green.

Suddenly dozens simultaneous shots erupted out of alleyways and from around other places of concealment all around him, shooting into the air in random directions, before exploding themselves.

 _No_ , Stewart suddenly realized. _Not explosives . . . boosters to accelerate and change course!_

Each of the large projectiles abruptly and rapidly converged on him, some flashing with further bursts as other, smaller payloads, accelerated them further. _But at speeds staggered so that despite their greater distance, they'll all hit me from all sides –even a few from above given how they can maneuver like that— in coordinated, staggered waves!_ an impressed Stewart realized. _The type of skill it would take to pull this off . . . It's incredible!_

Unfortunately for all that display of talent, it was still impotent.

Able to see them coming, and his bubble shield fully maintained against sneak attacks, they just kept hitting against Stewart's Will like spitballs against a tank.

Not even the flash of light or ringing sound could hurt him, his shield automatically muting it to safe level as it had when the criminal had originally tried to disorient him.

That was not to say at the end, Green Lantern was not sweating heavily at the exertion. Nonetheless, he was untouched, and his Ring had plenty of juice left.

 _A variant on his fired projectiles_ , Stewart further assessed, replaying how the young man had been ducking and dodging the earlier part of their exchanged fire. _Probably planted while he was running, with the layers of explosives that somehow launched them, while he fired off others . . . The timing and accuracy needed . . . this is a waste of his talent. Did he invent all of them? Usopp was his name, right . . . ?_

Then he realized what the real intention was.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Brook was silent as he entered the manager's office. He knew what his duty was here: getting the money from the show.

Despite the significant impulse to run off to help fight, it was too far away for him to get there in time. Moreover, based upon what the running civilians had said, it was only Green Lantern, Flash, and Wonder Woman. 'Only' being the operative word, if still nothing too serious in terms of preventing the Crew from making their escape. Brook knew Luffy well enough that he did not see any reason in a pointless fight. Except when it was about food, but food was very serious issue to their young Captain.

The revenue from the concert was a priority however. It was important that they have this cash to help fund their efforts to return home. Especially since this would be the Soul King's last public appearance for a good while. He felt sorry for his audience, but it was necessary. Both this gig and Chopper's medical company had been their main source of legitimate income after all. Moreover, given how soon they were clashing with the League again, the musician was worried about their _extra_ -legal methods too.

 _Maybe if Franky fixed it so that I could do a few public radio broadcasts to make it up to them?_

And yes, removing the Justice League from the equation would prevent the threat of losing further income, except they had not really done anything to deserve that yet. Moreover, their small band against the world was long odds even for them, especially since the League handled various potential world-ending threats.

Besides, as a rock star himself, Brook was willing to acknowledge how popular the heroes were, and that the happiness they brought to their own fans was not irrelevant.

The cash was kept in a secure safe that Brook had specifically requested from his supposed 'managers.' He did not know the combination of course, since the point had been ensuring no one _else_ could rob it. Drawing his cane sword, his blade swished right through the thick steel faster than the eye could see and the pieces of the former safe slid apart.

Professionally he examined the thin blade for the slightest flaw, being more comfortable thrusting through such dense materials as opposed to cutting it. Satisfied, he began to gather the bills together.

 _I'm glad I took the precaution of specifically requesting for this concert to be near such an abandoned area. Makes fighting and escaping so much easier. Even if I did have to make up such a silly excuse._

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Orders, Luffy?"

Hat safely secure, Luffy turned to look at his subordinate, and shrugged. "None of this really matters, and there's too many people here who might get hurt if we keep fighting. Just make sure we get the money out, or Nami'll get mad at me!"

"Understood."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Personally, I think it's your penal system that will finally make you decide to forcefully change the rules," the criminal cheerfully continued to tell Diana. "I can't say I'm opposed to how humane your present system is, but the people you lock up have a depressing tendency to escape to cause havoc again. How much longer until one of them kills someone you love and hangs their intestines around the living room to try and insult you and rub it in your face?"

Wonder Woman blinked. It was not so much what had been said, as it was the matter-of-fact knowledge, combined with the sense it was all some sort of joke.

The failings of the judicial system, and the consequences for the innocent, was something that she had tragically become aware of since joining Man's World. While the regular crooks and thieves could reliably be kept in prison, it was the supervillains, those with powers, skills, and genius that broke out. Worse, they knew that freeing the regular inmates in the process served as great distraction. Yet changing it, making a system that would guarantee their incarceration, would require, as this enigma had noted, more intrusive methods. This was a delicate line that they had to be careful not to cross towards _in_ humane solutions. Given these concerns, and to distance themselves from _dispensing_ justice, as opposed to _enforcing_ it, Superman and Batman had convinced the others to leave it to the governments.

 _That's not to say that they're_ happy _with this solution of course. Nor that they aren't coming at it from another angle. If their plan for Lex Luthor pays off…_

 _No stay focused, she's trying to distract you._

Then something shifted in the pirate's eyes, and Wonder Woman stuck, instinctively knowing that something had changed and she had to go on the offensive. She was a blur through the air, but even though the woman's hands were right in front of her, a smoke bomb still went off, obscuring her . . .

. . . and broke through the smoke to find no one there, and no one around.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Stewart scowled as his bubble shield burst through the lights and smoke, looking around even as he knew it was futile. That massive final attack had been a distraction, while his opposite number broke cover and ran to wherever he was going. _Next time it'll be different_ , he promised.

 **!JUSTICE!**

With a small sigh, Robin walked out of the shadowy alley, rubbing her arms. While her clone may have served its purpose before dispersing into flower petals, that did not change the fact that any damage it suffered still transferred to the original.

"Thanks for the save, Robin," Usopp quietly told her.

"Think nothing of it," Robin smiled back. "I appreciated your smoke bomb, it helped hide the truth of my abilities. Besides, it's my own fault really. Clearly I need to improve my Armament Haki."

"Please," Usopp gently scoffed. "You're already doing the work of four people. I bet if you had the time, you'd have already mastered it!

Robin had reached the point where she could manifest the first stage with Armament, which was essentially an invisible shield, as opposed to the more refined, darker version. Like the vast majority of such users however, the most surface area she could manage was her forearms . . . which was a problem when her fighting style resolved around forming multiple arms. More arms required more concentration, which essentially involved 'spreading out' her haki, making it too weak to contribute much if she created more than a few arms. So far.

 _Even just slowing down Wonder Woman must have taken more than she could manage the haki for, or have the time to focus it_ , Usopp quietly knew. _That, and she wasn't really in the mood to fight. If she was, you can bet it would've been over already._

 _Heck, Luffy's right here, so she could have consulted him, while her clone fought Wonder Woman at the same time._

The Captain in question was sitting across from the alley Robin had been in, sitting on a trash can as if he did not have a care in the world. This was only an illusion however, as Usopp knew his Captain's Observation Haki was trained like a hawk.

Despite knowing he should just let sleeping dogs lie, Usopp could not resist the urge to probe his best friend's uncharacteristic behaviour. "Are you really passing off the chance for a fight, Luffy?"

Giving a lazy shrug, Luffy hopped to his feet and started to walk away, his crewmates following behind. "I still like heroes, and for now that's what they are. Brook will miss his concerts, but he already told me earlier tonight that with all of the other jobs he was doing," –because even for a simple snatch-and-rob, Brook was not the type to let his friends go into danger when he could help— "that it was only a matter of time before people caught on. I got my Hat back and a good fight with the Flash already, and we've got the money," up ahead they could see Brook making his way to towards them, his lanky long arms carrying several large duffle bags, "so we don't even have a reason to fight outside of fighting for the sake of fighting."

Unspoken through that bad grammar was: 'and that'd be just stupid.'

" _Besides_ , I _like_ Flash! He's a cool guy, even if he did something mean like that!"

Shrugging, Usopp knew he had no reason to complain, being glad it was all over. Especially since he had only brought his regular bag of tricks for the concert. He had consumed every piece of ammunition he had, and in the end had only managed to distract Green Lantern enough to escape. Any further fighting, and he would have mostly been just a hindrance. Unfortunately . . . "You do know that Nami's going to be violently furious with us, right?"

Luffy just looked at Usopp blankly, so the latter elaborated. "Without Cherry Blossom Medical, Brook's concerts were our biggest legal source of income. Now we've lost all that." Then Usopp started to sweat as it occurred to him that _technically_ it was his own fault that they had been discovered, even if Luffy had met Flash first. Alas, there were no reliable witnesses to verify what had been said between them. "So as Captain, it's your duty to take responsibility," he quickly added.

"What!?" Luffy gasped in horror. "No way! What'm I going to do!? She's going to kill me!"

Giggling, Robin threw in her own two cents. "And we never got to see the fireworks either. Oh well."

"Respectfully, I believe you did the right thing, Captain," and now Brook had joined them. While the man was hardly a pacifist, he deeply cherished the value of life. Fifty years dead-but-alive, surrounded by the bones of your first crew-friends-family-nakama, with nothing to distract you but your own thoughts, would do that to you. So with deathly seriousness, he elaborated. "The moment they figured out I was working with you, this operation would have to be closed down. Further fighting would have been pointless. As for Nami, she will agree."

Brook decided to not ruin Luffy and Usopp's hopes by adding that she would still likely hit the two young men. Because he was a nice guy, he decided he would ask Nami if he could see her panties, so that she could vent some of that lovely, youthful energy on him first. He caught Robin's knowing grin, and tipped his head at her in a little nod at her own insight. Then he let himself relax again.

"Oh my, Robin dear, is your arm hurt~?" he dramatically asked, despite already knowing the answer

"It's nothing," she assured him. "I've already put one of Chopper's salves on, and it'll be better than ever in a few minutes."

"Well in that case, we should celebrate!" He handed the bags of money over to Luffy to carry, who was happy to lend his monstrous strength to the task, anticipating what would happen next. Pulling out his violin from his ribcage (being a little quieter than his guitar), Brook played a cheerful beat, skipping down the road away from the remains of the battlefield. Grinning, the others followed behind, maintaining a fast but happy pace as they put distance between them and the heroes.

Timing it perfectly, Brook unleashed the crescendo just as the fireworks he had set to a delayed ignition went off. It was the musician's job to see to the mental health of the Crew after all, and Usopp's newest invention was perfect for it.

Series of rising blue lights formed waves of water, while yellow starbursts formed a ship upon it. Touches of red and green added the details to make clear it was the _Thousand Sunny_ , sailing the oceans of the sky.

"SUNNYYYYYYY" Luffy shouted happily, while jumping up and down at the sight of his ship. Then he relaxed to face the artist. "That's beautiful, Usopp," Luffy said quietly, with utter sincerity.

"Oh my," Robin gasped. While not as bloody and violent as she expected, it was still unquestionably lovely to behold.

"Well done my friend~!" Brook cheered.  
"Oh, you know, the Great Genius Usopp always delivers!" boasted the inventor.

Then a white van pulled up in front of them, and Nami stuck her head out of the window. "Usopp," she said in a voice that was too calm to be real. "That's a very beautiful fireworks display, but would you boys," –Robin was automatically assumed innocent due to a) being of the rational gender, and b) being too smart to be responsible— "mind explaining these police reports we've intercepted? Or why while driving here, we've been watching explosions and flash bombs going off in the sky?" Now Nami's forehead veins were visibly throbbing. "Or why you're running away from there carrying my money?"

"Uhhhhhh," Luffy and Usopp managed, sweat running down their faces like rain.

"We'd be happy to explain," Brook cheerfully offered. "But first, may I see your panties?"  
"Die!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

Flash's eye's snapped open behind his cowl as his mind reorganized itself.

Although only a second passed, he quickly assessed that he was in the Watchtower Hospital Wing, noted that this was his first time seeing it as a patient, remembered his fight, knew that his accelerated healing had just finished, calculated how long he had been unconscious based upon how hard he had been hit and how hungry he was (Starved!) to gain an estimate on how badly he had been hurt, and concluded that John must have come out of the fight okay and flown him straight here.

"Uuuugh," Wally West groaned with more than a touch of self-pity.

J'onn Jonzz appeared overheard, and did a quick test with a handheld Martian medical device to check for a concussion (shining a light in Wally's eyes would require removing his mask).

"Are the others okay?" croaked Flash.

"You were the only one hurt," J'onn assured him, with a sympathetic look.

The real reason for it became abundantly clear as the Dark Knight appeared to stand over the downed hero.

"I know, I know," Flash contritely said.

"Know what?" Batman asked, disapproval dripping off his every word like meat-sauce at a barbeque. _I seriously need to get some food . . ._

Despite being hungry, with his healing ability and ability to still process his thoughts faster than norm, he was already fully awake, and engaging in a rare bout of rapid self-reflection.

"I messed up," Flash said, refusing to break eye contact with his fellow hero. "I didn't realize who he was in time, but frankly I'm not upset about that. Even now," his eyes narrowed in thought, "he's either a phenomenal actor, or that's really who he is. He just wants to have fun, so he doesn't take what's happening seriously most of the time. It's only when he _does_ get earnest that you realize how dangerous he is."

Batman resisted the urge to point out the obvious comparison, not wanting to get sidetracked.

"As for our fight," now Flash looked particularly glum, his eyes glancing aside briefly before meeting Batman's gaze again. "I underestimated him going in, and that cost me. I didn't expect to fight someone so fast, and it kept me on the defensive. I didn't think. Not really.

"His powers seem based upon rubber, so trying to punch him was probably a stupid idea in the first place. I don't even know if that would've hurt him. Instead I should've gotten more space from him to go faster, grab something to use to help fight him, wrapped his stretching limbs up, made a tornado or two, something like that. Instead I found myself reacting too much." Then Flash took on a grim cast. "I'll train with Superman more. He's fast too, so he can help me prepare for next time."

The two Justice Leaguers continued to stare at each other for a moment, with a trickle of unease going up Batman's spine—

"But first!" Flash grinned, all cheer again. "I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really need something to eat! C'mon man, what've you got for a handsome speedster in recovery? Hope you didn't scrimp on the necessities when you spent all that money building this place. That means decent food, none of that junk in the other hospitals. And is there any chance of a nurse in a skimpy outfit?" Then he lowered his voice to a sotto whisper, "But not Diana or Shayera of course. They'd kill me."

"I'll get you your food," Batman said expressionlessly, before turning around to walk off.

"Don't you go wearing a nurse's dress!" Flash called after him. "That'd be just plain wrong!" Then he turned to talk normally to Martian Manhunter. "Did you hear that, J'onn? He didn't criticize me once! Alright, except for that first one, but still! A record! Maybe I hit my head after all, and this is all a hallucination?"

"You acknowledged your mistakes and came up with a plan to correct them," the Martian pointed out with a small grin.

Unseen, Batman allowed himself a slight smile too, even as he suppressed all memory of his fear. Fear of a Flash gone grim, from being disillusioned by the world.

 _I should've known better. He's irrepressible._

The Scarlet Speedster was an annoying, loud mouthed, immature adult, who at the same time was seen by some of the others as the little brother they never knew they wanted. For all that merciless torture would never make him admit it, even Batman would rather cut off his own arm than lose him. With a dull blade.

For the truth was, more than the rest of the Justice League, Wally West –yes, Batman knew who he really was— represented what they fought for. He was joyful and kind to a fault, always ready to see the best in others. And once he saw it, he would do all he could to draw it out.

Superman was the Leader, the Example they all looked to.

Flash was the Heart.

To take that away from the League, would be an unforgivable crime.

So Batman made his way back to join the others and tell them Flash was awake. And then he would join them in searching for those responsible for all this.

They had new clues after all.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **I should take the chance to give credit to MathisMagic and their incredible crossover, "Fixations." Not only was it a huge piece of inspiration and helped guide me towards writing this story, it was a phenomenal help getting into the mind of Flash and the Justice League for this chapter.**

 **.**

 **Regarding Robin's fight, I should begin by saying she is my favourite of the Straw Hats, so I apologize to both you and her for her lackluster fight here. Right after writing that, I went and wrote a future fight scene for her that is more worthy of her sheer awesomeness. She totally deserves to do that more often in canon really.**

 **That said, Robin was at an initial disadvantage, and did not see any benefit in trying to snap the spine of a member of the Justice League at this point.**

 **.**

 **And to a certain anonymous Guest, I hope this at least partially addresses your question about haki and Green Lantern Rings.**

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 **Next chapter: 'Fury'**

 **(Yes, we are getting into actual canon episodes now)**

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Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	5. Fury

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their own stories!

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Chapter 5: Fury

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 _Previously: The Straw Hats and Justice League ran into each other again at a concert for the Soul King. Brook's last public musical appearance ended with Luffy defeating Flash, while Usopp and Robin's fights with Green Lantern and Wonder Woman ending in stalemates. The conflict did not escalate further as all the pirates, including Luffy, saw no real reason to keep fighting, and they had other priorities. Especially as seeing the League had not done anything to justify it. Yet._

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 **I am aware that Shade's words in the first episode of "Fury" indicated that chronologically this happened after "Injustice For All," but to simplify things, I am sticking with episode release dates to set the timeline.**

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 **Warning! Contains major plot spoilers from One Piece Manga 850, which is far ahead of the anime if that is what you are following.**

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This chapter is an AU of a DCAU episode by the same name.

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America was spiraling into madness.

Everywhere, people were succumbing to the plague as they collapsed, their veins visible beneath pale skin. Glassy eyes, unresponsive, high fevers, and grey blotches across the skin were other symptoms. Even worse was the terrifying rate at which the allergen (it was technically not a virus) took effect. Once it was in the victim's system, it took only minutes, if not seconds, to render the person comatose.

Only males were afflicted however.

The consequences were not just limited to them of course, as cars crashed as their drivers were suddenly and rapidly sickened, planes fell, and fires dotted the cities. In hospitals, medical operations turned into nightmares as surgeons could no longer hold their instruments, while the nursing staff ran themselves ragged to save those already sickly, or needing treatments. Mothers screamed for help as their baby boys fell ill. The number of catastrophes and terrors only seemed to grow.

What the precious few female emergency personnel were in service ran themselves to the bone to keep up as half the human race was dying, and the other half was trying to keep civilization from going up in flames.

Thus far, the epidemic was confined to north-eastern USA, originating in Gotham. Unfortunately, it was spreading across the continent at an unprecedented rate, and it was only a matter of time before it spread globally. If something was not done soon, it was all too possible various governments would take 'extreme, but necessary' steps to 'contain' the threat. Not to mention how scared individuals would react to a disease that only killed men, and not women; the accusations that would be thrown… So far the international community was keeping its act together, but the sooner this was handled, the quicker they could keep the situation from blowing out of control. Permanently.

In Gotham City at least, the situation was stabilizing. The lion's share of this accomplishment could be laid at the feat of the valiant women who had risen to the challenge. However, no small part could also be credited to Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl, the only remaining active members of the Justice League besides Martian Manhunter. Due to how he had been on the Watchtower the entire time, J'onn J'onzz had escaped exposure thus far. Nonetheless, since the allergen was effective against even Superman's own alien physiology, the Martian was probably as vulnerable as everyone else. Currently he was working as hard as he could back up in the Watchtower to isolate a cure.

The two heroines watched a fire truck drive away, having just been helping the crew. Now the fire-ladies were tirelessly moving on to find where they could next be of help.

"They seem to be on top of things," Hawkgirl complimented. "Impressive."

"Almost reminds me of home," observed Wonder Woman with a bit of regret. She had left home without permission to save Man's World, and when she had returned she had found it under attack. To save the Amazons, she had been forced to call upon the aid of the male members of the League, in blatant defiance of her people's sacred laws. This decision had saved her people, which was all that mattered, even though Queen Hippolyta, her own mother, was forced with a heavy heart to banish Diana from Theymiscira. Forever.

"Yes, but who wants to live in a world without men?" Hawkgirl argued.

"They can't possibly be that essential to your life," Diana questioned. She had been struggling with that more and more recently. Was it only yesterday that she had been forced to confront how much women were supposed to objectify themselves for men?

"Don't knock it until you've tried it, Princess," Hawkgirl replied with a knowing smile, seeing Wonder Woman slightly flinch. "Let's find Aresia."

"Is Aresia responsible for this?"

Spinning around, the heroines took in the four advancing figures.

Two highly attractive, women, a celebrity skeleton, and a walking pile of fur, waving as they briskly walked up to them. All familiar from wanted posters the League itself had created.

Despite taking defensive stances, neither Wonder Woman nor Hawkgirl attacked. Wonder Woman's tone was still accusatory however. They had enough trouble as it was without having to deal with more villains. "What do you want?"

Surprisingly, it was the furball –who was indeed large and pill shaped as reported— who determinably stepped forward. "I'm Tony Tony Chopper, Doctor for the Straw Hat Pirates, and the creator of Cherry Blossom Medical's patents and products. I need your help if we're to save everybody!"

Noting his male tone, Diana had to ask. "I understand why the skeleton might not be affected, but why are you okay? Even Superman is sick right now."

"Truthfully," and now Chopper seemed a little concerned, "I do have a high fever, yet so far only that. It's seems I'm partially immune to the allergen. As for Brook . . ." and now he shot his friend and embarrassed look, "we really don't know how his biology works."

"I'm a little under the weather myself," the Soul King lightly said, before pulling out a bottle of milk. Popping the lid, he poured it down his . . . jawbone, and it just disappeared out of sight with no sign of soaking through his clothes as it should have. "Ah! Milk seems to help me keep it at bay. Healthy bones! Yo ho ho ho~!"

The Justice Leaguers, blinked in confusion for second, before putting it out of mind.

"Again," Wonder Woman ground out. "What do you want?"

"Why?" Nami sarcastically retorted. "Too busy putting ground breaking medical establishments out of business? Or famous musicians?"

That last incident had only happened a few nights ago. The backlash had been predictably severe from the die-hard Soul King fans, yet the majority of the general public supported the League's actions. The Straw Hats _were_ criminals after all, as proven by how violently they had resisted arrest. Even more condemning was how civilian eye witnesses recognized from police reports one of the individuals connected with Cherry Blossom Medical, proving their intentions were not benign after all. Not to mention that Brook had taken off with all the concert money, not just what was to pay his own wages, but even what was to pay for all the other employees, and expenses the show had incurred.

"You do know your so-called captain confessed to committing numerous large-scale crimes, to our faces, right?"

Forehead vein throbbing briefly, Nami retorted, "Why aren't you busy worrying about all the murderers, or those trying to conquer the world?"

"Because you're powerful," Hawkgirl observed. "Already willing to commit crimes, and she," –pointing at Robin— "admitted that you readily resort to violence. Why shouldn't we assume you're willing to kill if you deem it necessary? And even if you aren't, that doesn't excuse you of your crimes we _know_ of."

" _Enough!_ " snapped Chopper. "This poison is killing half the planet, and you're bickering!" Everyone stiffened at this, realizing they were taking things too personally. He continued, "We were heading towards one of my laboratories that has potentially beneficial materials for curing this allergen, except the League's got advanced technology and contacts of its own. We have to work together!"

"He's right," Robin grimly noted. "It's the only way, and the only reason we've come to meet you."

"Indeed," Brook cheerfully noted, hoping to help defuse the tense atmosphere. "As per our Captain's orders, we're not even supposed to be in Gotham City."

That was a surprise, even if it was a distraction. Glancing at each other in silent confirmation, the heroines relaxed into a more diplomatic stance. Now that they were calming down, they acknowledged that Chopper could be beneficial. He already knew that it was an allergen, and had research geared towards that. Making a judgment call, Diana tapped her ear radio.

"J'onn, come in. We've made contact with the Straw Hat Pirates. I'm passing you on to Dr. Chopper, who claims to be the one responsible for Cherry Blossom Medical's breakthroughs."

She reached over to hand Chopper the radio, then flinched as suddenly he shrunk to a far smaller –and cuddlier— form. All business, he hopped up to pluck it out of her hand, confirmed J'onn could hear him, and immediately began rattling with technical medical terms that the others only dimly recognized. What they _did_ understand however, was that it was a two-way conversation, and that he and J'onn were in agreement about possible avenues for isolating a cure.

Hawkgirl hung her mace on her belt. "So, truce until we take care of Aresia? Who yes, is the one responsible for this."

"Agreed," Nami promptly declared. While she was tempted to negotiate for an extension for after the crisis passed, she also knew better than to push the matter. "We'll need you to tell us about her."

Then they all glanced up as another newcomer came to join them. "You're slipping," Star Sapphire reprimanded, yet they could hear the strain in her voice. It was not just from what she was doing either, which was projecting a pink energy field from the gem on her forehead, which gently lowered down a helicopter. As soon as she and it touched the ground, two female pilots scrambled out and distanced themselves from the gathering.

The woman in question was a dangerous super-villain in her own right, capable of creating energy constructs similar to that of Green Lantern. Worse, Star Sapphire was nearly as good as John Stewart too. Despite her power, she lacked the ability to command other villains herself, which is why she was only the type to work for hire, or as part of a team. A follower, not a potential conqueror. She had been last seen as part of Aresia's gang, except now she was showing up, along with apparently rescued civilians as a peace gesture.

"Relax! I'm not here to fight," she said with raised hands. "In fact I came to warn you."

"About Aresia?" Wonder Woman demanded.

"She's crazy. She wants to wipe all the men in the world." The earnestness in her voice was convincing, making it clear that Star Sapphire knew she had gotten into a 'job' that was far more than she was willing to accept.

"We noticed," Hawkgirl flatly said. "Where is she?"

"She and Tsukuri are at a nearby air base," Star Sapphire promptly answered. "They're getting a stealth plane to fire cruise missiles into the atmosphere to disperse the toxin globally. We don't have much time before they launch!"

"If it's the base I'm thinking of," Nami said as pursed her lips in thought, "it's not too far off from where we've got to drop off Chopper."

"Alright, let's go," Star Sapphire said, her energy construct picking up the Straw Hat Pirates to carry them there.

"So, who are you?" Star Sapphire added.

"Nico Robin, as you well know," the woman in question remarked, wearing her special knowing smile, causing a slight flinch in the super-villain.

"Uhm, yeah, sorry. You're in charge of the Straw Hats, right?"

"No."

"Oh. The guy with three swords then."

"My name is Nami," the redhead spoke up instead.

"Brook the Soul King," the skeleton answered.

"Dr. Chopper."

Hesitating, Star Sapphire decided to drop her line of questions.

Glancing over, Wonder Woman processed something about Nami she had not noticed. "I like your shirt by the way."

Looking down at what she was wearing tightly over her large bosom, Nami smiled. "Yeah, it's awesome!"

It read: 'Her Body, Her Choice.'

 **!JUSTICE!**

Shortly later

"So," Hawkgirl said to fill in the time as they traveled, "if you're not the leader, then what do you do for your gang?"

"Oh, I'm their archaeologist," Robin brightly answered, looking forward to the reactions.

She was not disappointed, as Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, and Star Sapphire all gave her sceptical looks. "Fu fu fu fu fu! It's true!"

Nami and Brook were also amused, except they knew they had to get down to business. Especially given how fast they were traveling. They had already dropped off Chopper, and would arrive at the air base in only a few more minutes. "So what can you tell us about this Aresia?" Nami asked.

"She's a rogue Amazon," Wonder Woman answered. "One of my sisters." She did not elaborate further, because she did not know many of the details herself. Even as a child, she had sensed a bitterness with Aresia, a feeling she was never really one of the Amazons, despite their attempts to make her feel welcome. Knowing how sensitive the younger woman's past was, Diana had never pressed the subject. The woman's recent actions made her wonder if she had ever known Aresia at all; where was she to even start in describing her?

Fortunately, Hawkgirl had heard full the story from Queen Hippolyta herself. It had become necessary after their joint confirmation that Aresia was the one responsible for leading a gang of super-villains –including Star Sapphire—in a series of robberies. The crimes had been done so flawlessly, that the League's first assumption was that it was the Straw Hats again. Then Batman had pointed out that the casualties involved with those new heists were more violent than the pirates' usual methods.

"From what I was told," Hawkgirl said, "Aresia was not born an Amazon. They said she came from Man's World, although from her complexion and other details, I'd say somewhere in Europe. When she was a child, her homeland became what Queen Hippolyta described as a 'battlefield for a bloody and senseless war.' Where the victors were 'cruel, and denied even the basic humanity of their defeated foes. Soon neighbours, friends, and schoolmates were all gone. Killed to the last.' Aresia's family was forced to flee, which included her mother and baby sister. They eventually made their way to a refugee ship, but then," and now Hawkgirl gave Nami and the others a pointed look, "they ran into pirates."

The self-proclaimed pirates were unfazed, and the Thanagarian decided now was not the time to press the topic.

"The pirates raided the ship, and stole whatever valuables the refugees had left. Then they fired upon them to remove any witnesses. The boat sank, and Aresia survived by clinging to a piece of floating wreckage. By some miracle she washed ashore on Themyscira, home of the Amazons. Queen Hippolyta herself found Aresia, and nursed her back to health. The Amazons adopted her, trained her, and magically endowed her with Amazon strength. I can't blame them for that, but it does mean she'll be a tough fight."

"I see," Robin stated neutrally, but _something_ in her tone still caused everyone to snap her a look. "Anything about her father?"

"No, although the Amazons wouldn't have cared about that part."

"I see," Robin repeated, and this time there was nothing unusual in her flat words.

"We're almost there," Star Sapphire managed, sounding a little nervous, if still determined.

 _Hmm_ , Nami pondered. _How does she know so exactly how far away we are? Not to mention, how did she find out about Aresia's plans? They way she's acting so horrified about them, you'd have thought she'd be such a terrible actress that they'd see right through her . . . Unless_ this _is the act? Maybe she just isn't good enough at improvisation, and we're throwing her off now?_

After the initial 'help' from Charlotte Pudding, Nami was now far more sceptical of people who conveniently presented a perfect solution to a problem. Indeed, the offer had been so tantalizing that Nami had nearly forgotten that lesson until they had almost arrived.

She glanced at Brook, and his index finger tapped once on his cane and the sword hidden within. _So he's suspicious too_. Nami did not look at Robin for fear of tipping off the person carrying them at high speeds, dozens of meters off the ground. She was counting on her Big Sis to be on top of things, if only be catching the interaction by her crewmates. _Still, this is going to get ugly before it's over . . ._

 **!JUSTICE!**

In the air base hanger, the super-villains were finishing their preparations.

Aresia was an undeniably beautiful woman, with her long blond hair held in place by a golden headdress, and sharply defined face. Her shirt and pants were tightfitting, yet coloured white with a golden trim reminiscent of the fashion of Themyscira.

Walking down the ramp of the 'liberated' stealth bomber was Tsukuri. "That's the last one," the Asian woman obediently reported. She wore a band-like visor, and armour similar to that of a samurai, despite how she fought like a ninja. Her skill with her katana, mirrored by her hand-to-hand combat, made Tsukuri a difficult opponent even for the likes of Batman. "All the chemicals are onboard."

"Good," Aresia said professionally. "Then there's just one unfinished matter to attend to."

"And it will remain unfinished," Wonder Woman firmly declared as she, Hawkgirl, and Star Sapphire swopped into the building through the open doors. On the ground right behind them, were Nami and Robin.

With a vicious uppercut, Wonder Woman sent Tsukuri flying back, landing dazed amongst oil drums. Skillfully, Aresia raised her Amazonian bracelets to block Hawkgirl's vicious swing, blunting the blow, even if she was still knocked onto her back. With a grunt she stood up unopposed. "What took you?" she smugly asked before rearing to throw a punch, even as Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl moved to overwhelm her—

A wall of sapphire energy formed a wall between her and the heroes.

Surprised, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl looked up to see the self-satisfied Star Sapphire. "Forgive our little deception."

Inwardly, Hawkgirl cursed how she, a former instructor in espionage for the Thanagarian Military, had been so easily duped. Granted, she had been flying around non-stop to save lives all night, and had been on a mortal deadline for her teammates, and then a solution had just— _No! Those are just excuses! I've been a hero so long I've gotten rusty, and let my personal feelings blind me, and now it might kill us all!_

Phasing through her own shield, she landed beside Aresia while keeping it secure. "Diana," Aresia began, "I had Star Sapphire bring you here, so I could offer you one last chance to join our noble cause."

"Man's World may not be perfect," Wonder Woman sincerely answered, "but destroying it isn't the answer."

Glaring, Aresia offered her one final chance. "You would stand against us, your sisters?"

Before the heroes could make their answer, someone else butted in.

"You call this a noble cause?"

Aresia cocked her head in confusion, before recognizing them. "You're Nico Robin, leader of the Straw Hat Pirates."

"No," the statuesque woman replied.

 _That's the second time someone's identified her as the leader_ , Wonder Woman noted. _And it's true that while we released her wanted poster, Batman decided to only tell senior law enforcement Luffy was the 'captain.' He doesn't want other super-villains finding out, and the general public only needs to know they are dangerous; they are to avoid them, not confront them after all. No one else knows Luffy's in charge. So why did both Aresia and Star Sapphire –and she mentioned a man with three swords who we don't know about— make that assumption? What do they know?_

Tilting her head, Robin calmly gazed at Aresia. "Do you understand what you're doing here?"

"Of course," Aresia smirked, a perfect blend of arrogance and gleeful satisfaction. "I'm destroying Man's World, and all the greed, deception, and cruelty that makes it up. I'm giving control of it to all the women."

"You are a child," Robin coldly told her. "Striking out at the world as an expression of your pain."

Aresia froze.

Undaunted, Robin continued. "It's pitiful really. I assume all the soldiers who killed your family were men? The pirates too? And then you spent the rest of your life growing up with women who hate men. It's understandable. Just not excusable."

" _What do you know!?_ " snarled Aresia. "Or are you so in love with your shackles that you can't even see them!? Is that why you dress like you did in that wanted poster the League got of you?" Specifically, that when Robin had met the League she had been wearing a tiny pair of jean shorts, a very tight jean vest that had been largely unzipped, and nothing else. "What do you really know of Man's World!?"

Slowly and silently, Robin tilted her head to the side, as if studying the rogue Amazon. No one said anything as they recognized the calculation buzzing behind her eyes.

Finally, she made up her mind. "I don't really share this story with anyone," Robin said. "Nevertheless, I think it's for the best. Not just for you to understand, but the Justice League as well.

The heroes were puzzled, while Nami whipped around to stare and her crewmate in shock. "Robin!"

Her friend held up a reassuring hand. "It may prove educational," is all she said. Facing Aresia and her subordinates, she began her story.

"I am familiar with the concept of genocide. Your own people tore themselves apart, while mine were exterminated by outsiders. The slaughter was quick and efficient, and they disposed of every last man, woman, and child. Except one. Me."

Nico Robin could have been talking about the weather.

The women who were all new to this flinched, and Aresia's heartbeat accelerated as she realized she was facing someone who might truly _understand_ how she felt.

"They were unsatisfied of course," the archaeologist continued. "They decided that so long as _one_ of us survived, then the sin of my entire culture endured."

" _Sin_?" hissed Aresia. "Such is the way of men! They decree—"

"I'm not finished!" snapped Robin, eyes flashing with the first sign of emotion. "Never interrupt a history lesson with your assumptions until you've heard the whole piece!"

She waited to see that the others were paying attention. Despite herself, Nami was enjoying the reactions from the rest of the audience. The horror on Wonder Woman's face, on Hawkgirl's face the briefest flicker of . . . empathy? _Huh. She's supposed to be just an alien police officer. Now it's sympathetic, if still wary and suspicious._

Despite these observations, her efforts to find humour in the situation, and the composed mask she wore, Nami was struggling to hold back her own grief. Her memories of the despair and pain in Robin's eyes the day she had wanted to die and let it all _end_. Nami would not sabotage this performance, so all she could do was _feel_ , and swear once more to always be there for her Big Sis. 

Aresia and her little soldiers were clearly sickened however, as the tale was woven further.

"But yes, that we chose – _I_ chose— to live, was a sin in their eyes. For what else could it be, given what they had devoted themselves too? Their cause?" Robin never looked at the heroes, yet that only emphasized her point. Knowing what was coming next, Nami also had to hide her own meaningful grin. "Justice.

"They killed us all, and called it Justice. A vague, frivolous term used by the winners. Rationalizing whatever they did."

While Robin herself was not looking at the members of the Justice League, the clone eyes she had sprouted elsewhere were observing them. _Interesting_ , she thought, as she registered how they only seemed moderately stunned. _Professionalism? Something they have thought of before? Or are they already blinded?_

"So in the name of Justice, they spent many years hunting for me, and finally succeeded. Once they had me, the man in charge, in the name of 'Justice,' promised to torture me until I was dead, regardless of what I told them. That he would ' _hurt_ me. _Use_ me. And then _discard_ me.' And that was all in the name of 'Justice'."

She tapped her chin in thought. "He was also the son of the man who ordered the actual attack upon my homeland."

Robin hid her satisfaction as her words hit home with the others. The archaeologist knew that Wonder Woman and Aresia claimed to come from the culture of the ancient Amazons, and her subsequent studies into Greek mythology had painted a grim picture of their people's past fate at the hands of Hercules and his followers. It was for understandable –if flawed— reasons that all those women hated every last man, and had gone into self-imposed exile to escape them. Not that they would define it as 'escape.' A strategic withdrawal, perhaps.

Personally, Robin doubted Spandam would have lowered himself to inflicting those horrors upon what he regarded as a piece of filth . . . that would have been the pleasure of the sadistic men and _women_ of Impel Down, as they spent every instant of endless days torturing her. First to get her to talk, then to verify, and then because they could. Because her suffering would be Just.

Robin was a gloomy woman, but such thoughts were always chased away by the warm lights of her friends that she kept in her heart.

" _Tell me you wanna live!_ "

Playing mind games with people too self-righteous for their own good was also entertaining, especially if it might help them from becoming a threat to the world.

Indeed, Aresia appeared too shocked to respond. It was Star Sapphire who spoke first, face contorted with loathing. "Except you're still here! You escaped from those men! If they're still alive, we can kill them all off! Join us in this, and it'll never happen again! Or at least not by those people!"

Robin laughed.

It was a rich, bright laugh, ringing off the walls despite how it did not deserve a place amidst such a dark discussion.

Nico Robin was a Straw Hat however, and they went wherever they wanted too. Her past was a shadow compared to the sun that was her nakama.

After a few more moments, she got herself sufficiently under control to resume dispassionately lecturing Aresia and the others. "I already told you, it wasn't gender that caused it. Men did it, yes, but out of what they perceived as Justice. Something that is not unique to them."

"As for how I escaped, I never told you how I was captured, did I? They did it by threatening my nakama, a Japanese word that does not translate well into English," –despite how somehow on their original world they spoke English with a Japanese accent— "and means people who are beyond being just friends or blood family. True companions. To save them all, I was willing to suffer that horrible fate. To surrender the life I had guarded for so long, and let my people's story end."

Then Robin's eyes hardened just a little, showing just a hint of whatever lurked deep down in the depths of her soul. "But they came for me. Rescued me against impossible odds. Because I was precious to them, and they were willing to risk it all. Those same people are now dying from your allergen."

"We destroyed them," Nami growled. "Because no one, and I mean _no one_ , hurts those we care for without paying a price! They took something of ours, so we took everything from them!"

Shaken for reasons she could not explain, Aresia turned her attention upon the woman who had been meekly standing back all this time. She believed it promising that the pirate's shirt said 'Her Body, Her Choice.' "And what about you? Is that your decision?" Aresia sneered as she glanced at Nami. Then flinched. 

"What did you call all men again? Oh right. Cruel. Deceptive. And greedy. I know all about that," Nami whispered as she glared back with burning eyes. "I know allll about men like that. I couldn't kill him either, and I tried everything. Poison, sneak attacks, hired guns, you name it. Yet, the thing is, those men, they were just like you."

Aresia's face hardened, yet Nami steamrolled on. "They thought they were right to do so. That they were so superior, that I and those I cared about were so inherently weak and evil, that whatever they did to us was justified. Justified for crimes they accused us and our ancestors of; crimes that we were born guilty of. Condemning us for the actions of only a few.

"And at the very end? In the end it was _men_ who saved me."

" _Nami! You are my nakama!_ "

Raw pain and hatred dripped into her voice. "And right now you're killing millions, with plans to kill _billions_ , out of the same idiocy and empty hatred as those people who killed your family!" Nami's hands tightened on her stave. "For that alone I'd stop you, except you've also _dared_ to poison those same men who mean so much to me! You've **_dared!_** "

It was in that moment that Aresia realized she was facing women similar to herself . . . and oh so different. She had always imagined she had taken her own torment and bitterness to forge herself into a weapon. One that would cleanse the world. These people however . . . they had monsters inside of themselves. Savage, dangerous things ready to lash out at whatever threatened what was _theirs_.

"You are willing to slaughter half the world for your beliefs," Robin said as she crossed her arms and Nami hefted her bo-staff in readiness. "While I don't have the right to speak for the others, I," she solemnly promised, "would burn _everything_ to save that handful of men."

Silence fell.

"I see," Aresia softly spoke. "Then there is nothing more to be said. Diana?"

Turning back, Wonder Woman was resolute. "I too have seen the evil of Man's World. I have also seen the goodness within it, and its potential. This isn't the days of Hercules, Aresia, and the Justice League exists to stop tragedies like yours. It isn't perfect, and it may never will be, but it is proof that we are moving away from that bloody past."

"Death won't improve things, trust me," Hawkgirl added. "You don't realize what you'll lose if you go through with this."

"Enough words then," Aresia snarled.

"Yo ho ho~! My, my, there's never a time when talking things out won't help."

Star Sapphire paled as she realized she had forgotten about the skeleton. That his female companions had seized all their attention. _Was he busy sabotaging the bomber!? They were distracting us the entire time!?_ Her and her co-conspirators whirled to face the plane they were depending upon to spread the allergen globally.

Swinging his cane, while wearing pants with pink and yellow vertical stripes, a neon blue shirt with purples flowers, and a black top-hat, (which made their total obliviousness to his presence until now all the worse) Brook strolled into sight. Peering over his sunglasses with bright green frames, he regarded them all. "I went for a stroll around this lovely contraption, and found this wonderful young damsel tied up and in distress. Alas, after I freed her, she wouldn't show me her panties when I asked."

Nami rubbed her face in the palm of her hand, while Robin gave no reaction. Used to Flash's own antics, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl barely noticed his words in surprise at who accompanied the skeleton.

Down the ramp strode Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons. Unruffled despite her recent captivity. Using the gifts of the gods, she had left Themyscira, and found Aresia before anyone else, hoping to end this without further violence.

Resplendent in a white dress and cape of ancient Greek design, with a golden trim. While her hair was blonde, the beautiful face and cheekbones were strongly reminiscent of her daughter Diana, or Wonder Woman as she was more commonly known. For all her loveliness however, century upon century of experience lay upon her shoulders, and she was not at ease. She suspected that this . . . person . . . who had rescued her was just putting on an act to put people at ease. Beneath his foolishness, the queen sensed a veteran warrior, and was well aware of the folly of underestimating the undead.

"No!" cried Aresia. "Stop them!"

Obediently Star Sapphire dropped the shield and fired a shot at Nami, yet it phased right through her. "What!?"

"Hah! Mirage Tempo!"

Tsukuri went straight for the plane, planning to handle the newcomer. More importantly, victory would be assured if they recaptured Hippolyta as a hostage, as had been the original plan when she had unexpectedly appeared. Tsukuri had beaten the legendary Amazon once –by ambush— and would do it again.

Suddenly the skeleton was gone.

Sensing something was amiss, Tsukuri halted, trying to find him, until she heard humming from behind. Spinning around, she saw the skeleton walking away from her, idly twirling a cane sword. While the swordswoman was confused, she did not hesitate while his back was towards her. Once more she raced at Hippolyta who was staring at her with shocked eyes. "So fast," she registered the queen say. Behind her, Aresia screamed out in horror, "Tsukuri!"

Believing she was about to be attacked from behind, the Asian woman leapt to the side to evade—

Brook finished sheathing his spotless blade. "Three Verse Humming: Arrow Notch Slash!" he declared.

—and blood burst out of Tsukuri's torso.

Gasping, she collapsed to the ground without a word.

"You man!" Aresia snarled with hate. "You killed her!"

"You attacked my nakama! Poisoned them!" the skeleton icily hissed, the jolly stage performer no more. Shadows framing his face into a menacing nightmare, while the blackness within his eye sockets seemed to darken further.

While she did not understand what had just happened, Hawkgirl maintained her priorities. Charging her mace with electricity, she brought it hammering down on Aresia again. Instinctively the Amazonian trained woman brought up her bracelets to guard herself, and shrieked in pain as her nerves crackled.

"No!" Star Sapphire yelled, firing at Hawkgirl now. The Thanagarian dodged to the side, yet Aresia was still unable to move. Taking to the air, Star Sapphire moved to give herself some space.

"It's too late," Nami's shimmering image smirked. "Thunderbolt Tempo!" From a cloud that had been growing under the roof of the massive hanger during the long conversation, down flashed a bolt of lightning.

"Whoa!" went Star Sapphire, forming a shield at the last moment to protect herself.

"Wonder Woman," Robin smoothly said. "I'll cover you. Dos Fleur!"

Wordlessly, Diana charged Star Sapphire.

"Oh no you don't!" snarled the villainess, just as two hands appeared from her own back to cover her eyes. "Wha—!?"

Wildly she fired two quick shots, reaching up to regain her sight, but that was enough for Wonder Woman to get in a nasty haymaker. Star Sapphire was smashed down into the ground, away from the plane.

 _That should do for now_ , Robin decided. _I don't know the properties of her pink aura enough to tell how defensive it is._

Flawlessly Wonder Woman spun while unhooking her magical lasso mid-air. The golden rope ensnared Aresia while she was still stunned, securing her. Just in case, Hawkgirl gave her a sharp rap to keep the mastermind from having any funny thoughts.

Queen Hippolyta never even had a chance to throw a punch.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Up in the Watchtower, Martian Manhunter examined the results of Tony Tony Chopper's work with appreciation. At this rate of progress, it was entirely possible that his teammates' mission would be unnecessary.

 _Of course_ , _as Flash would say, 'It isn't over until the Fat Lady sings,'_ he gently admonished himself, fingers flying over the keyboard. Nonetheless, whatever else you could say about the pirates, their doctor was first-rate. Certainly superior to J'onn himself.

Before their near-extinction, barring a sole survivor, the Martians had been a very advanced race, at least decades ahead of humanity—although the recent appearance of a small number of super-scientist, and access to other-worldly technology, was quickly narrowing the gap. That meant that while J'onn himself had not been considered particularly brilliant in science, especially medicine, the basic scientific foundation he had grown up with, was lightyears ahead of anyone else in the League.

To give an analogy to make it clearer, imagine a regular, human police officer from the early 21st century, sent back in time by hundreds of years. While he may not be a licensed medical practitioner, he would have received regular check-ups with his doctor, been trained in first aid, know the gist of penicillin, been raised to despise leeches and rats, and appreciated the importance of 'basic' hygiene and sanitation, including cleaning your medical instruments after use.

Unfortunately, this meant that while J'onn had grown up absorbing 'average' knowledge for an advanced race, he lacked the ability to sufficiently adapt it for this crisis.

Tony Tony Chopper had the necessary brilliance. Martian Manhunter could clearly see that not only did the pirate possess a superior intellect, he was also innovative enough to take charge of this crisis.

"You were right," he calmly reported from the Watchtower. "Samples of my body prove I've been exposed to the allergen. It must've been on Superman's costume. We'll update our quarantine protocols after this."

" _I'm not doing so well too_ ," Chopper squeaked back over the radio, down on the surface in whatever laboratory he was operating out of. " _My assistants can take over for me if they have to, but we've got to do the most with the time we've got left!_ "

"Agreed."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Here," Robin said as she walked over Hawkgirl. "Brook got this sample of what we believe to be the allergen. Your Watchtower's medical equipment will probably be better suited to analyze it."

Quietly, Hawkgirl accepted it, noting how the skeleton in question and the third member of the Straw Hats were examining the bomber. _Probably undoing whatever sabotage he committed as a precaution. And we already know Robin has some sort of disappearing act if we attack her_.

Warily, Queen Hippolyta walked up to her daughter, who was standing guard over Aresia. "Diana, who are these people?"

"Criminals," Wonder Woman promptly answered. "We have a truce until we've dealt with this poison. Their doctor is very skilled though, and is working with J'onn. The green man I brought to Themyscira."

Nodding, Hippolyta gave the three strangers an evaluative look. As a warrior and Queen, she _knew_ people. She could to see into their hearts and minds. Even near the beginning with Aresia, she feared she was making a mistake, taking the girl in. In the end, she had been unable to refuse an orphan in need, and had planned to help her heal in both body, mind, and heart. Alas, the troubled young woman had isolated herself to escape her sight. These others however . . .

Hippolyta had heard everything from within the plane, and could already make a preliminary assessment of them. Indeed, too many of her Amazons had been like them once. Those who had been hounded and hounded until they could take it no more, and turned to fight their tormenters. Then amongst the flying blood learned that they were wolves, and their former hunters were mere mutts. Hippolyta had seen this in many of her Amazons as they struck back at their male tormentors, and found their true warrior spirits. Themyscira and their Sisters had then provided them with a home, and new sense of identity and joys so that they could recover.

So it was with these three, and they truly would do anything to protect their new lives.

Groggily, Aresia re-orientated herself, and realized she was tied up with the legendary lasso. In front of her, she could see Tsukuri's body still laying on the ground. "You fools!" she spat out. "Don't you see? We're not your enemy, it's the men! They must be destroyed."

"You're wrong Aresia," and Hippolyta's voice carried with it all the centuries of her authority. "Without men, you wouldn't still be here. After your ship sank, you must've lost consciousness, as you drifted on your makeshift craft. You would surely have drowned as you sank, if the ship's captain had not found you and pulled you to safety. Valiantly he struggled to keep you alive, until he brought you to the shores of Themyscira. But the effort was too much for his heart, and he died. Too be sure of his character, I consulted with the gods, and Athena told me of his actions. His final resting place is a simple, unmarked grave. He is the only man buried on Themyscira. So you see, for all your hatred of men, it turns out you owe your life to one."

Aresia could only glare at this revelation. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"I didn't think it was important," then Hippolyta looked regretful. "I didn't think _he_ was important." Why else had she failed to ask Athena for his name? Was that a deliberate omission by the Goddess of Wisdom as she had thought, or a test? Had the queen failed?

"Maybe it's time to reconsider that," Hawkgirl said, before taking flight on her wings. The auto-pilot for the Javelin spaceship she and Wonder Woman had originally come down from the Watchtower in, would soon bring the craft here, and there was not a second to lose to get the sample to J'onn.

"So everything you ever preached was a lie," Aresia accused.

"Not everything," Hippolyta assured her.

"Still," hissed Aresia in accusation, "the acts of one man cannot redeem the sins of his kind. They all must pay! Look at what that male skeleton did to Tsukuri! He killed her without a thought!"

"And how many are already dead, and beneath your notice?" Brook quietly accused in turn glaring at her with empty, dark eye sockets that somehow conveyed a bitter contempt. For all Aresia fought to return his gaze with equal force, she could not deny feeling the sensation of someone stepping on her grave. "But I am not like you," the skeleton added. "Your friend is merely injured."

"You lie!" she snapped. "You expect me to believe she's still alive while she bleeds like that!?"

"Perhaps," Hippolyta mused, having a better appreciation for the level of skill displayed. She walked over, angling her path and body so that she kept the pirates in sight at all times. Leaning down, she held one of her bracelets to Tsukuri's mouth, and saw mist upon the metal. "She still breathes," she declared, voice devoid of the respect she felt within. For all her years as a warrior, the skeleton's swordsmanship was humbling. Indeed, his abilities were simply inhuman. Not a pun, a _fact_.

"Where did you learn to wield your sword?" the queen inquired. "That you could cut down another warrior of great skill, yet still leave her alive?"

As if the topic were inconsequential, Brook gently waved his hand in dismissal. "Around."

Accepting he would not answer, Hippolyta glanced at Lasso tying up her failed subject. "Aresia," she calmly said. "Did you perchance create an antidote for your poison?"

The glare was answer enough, and Hippolyta was convinced there was no need to escalate matters and compel her to talk. The young woman's fanaticism was predictable like that.

Brook walked up, appearing more curious than anything. "What about your dad?" he asked, taking everyone by surprise. Indeed, none of the others (except maybe Star Sapphire, or Tsukuri, who were still unconscious) had ever even had a father in their lives; if Hippolyta had ever known hers, she had forgotten him long ago, and did not mourn this.

Aresia flinched, then bit her lip to keep herself silent.

"Either he left her family, was killed in the war, or was killed in the attacks," Robin theorized. "So even if she remembered him while growing up in an isolated society that hates men, she would have only remembered that he had failed to protect his family. More proof of the failings of men. I wouldn't be surprised if she overheard the older Amazons say as much."

The prisoner tried to glare at them all, yet it fell short. She _loathed_ it; the self-reproach in Diana and the Queen's eyes, and the pity mingled with contempt in the Pirates'.

"It appears we truly did fail you," Hippolyta murmured.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Breathing heavily, Martian Manhunter finished mixing the chemicals together. Their existence was one of the fields where his knowledge surpassed Doctor Chopper's (who had _earned_ that full title), being discovered on Mars only a few years before its downfall.

As it was, the Martian was only holding on thanks to some compounds that Dr. Chopper had recommended before he had stopped answering. Tellingly, Cherry Blossom Medical's own products had factored heavily in creating what was currently keeping J'onn upright. Someone else had taken over, using something to disguise their voice. They claimed that the medicine to stave off the allergen had not been as effective for Dr. Chopper. Fortunately, he was merely immobile, and able to process information and pass it on to this anonymous assistant.

Together, both parties believed they had found an antidote. The others had suggested using Superman and the others as guinea pigs, yet Martian Manhunter had overruled that. Morality aside, his computer simulations would get the results only slightly slower, without the risk of worsening the situation.

A few minutes later, he had confirmation.

They had a cure.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"I would like to bring Aresia back to Themyscira," Hippolyta said to Diana. "Our prisons are designed to hold immortals, and the guards are both as long-lived as her, and better trained."

"We will discuss it," Wonder Woman promised. "I won't commit to anything before talking with the rest of the League, and the authorities."

The prisoner in question ignored them, having fallen into a sullen silence.

Female soldiers from the air base were also present, helping to guard the remaining samples of the allergen. As all their senior officers had been men, and were currently sick, they decided they were uninterested in involving themselves into command decisions. Something like this was best left to the politicians and generals.

Some of them were using their medical training to patch up both Tsukuri, and the guards the super-villainesses had knocked out in seizing the hanger. The patients were all stable ( _some_ how in Tsukuri's case), so the base's regular doctors absent, as they were on stand-bye if any more emergencies cropped up during this pandemic.

Hawkgirl flew in at that moment with a large grin on her face. "I just got word from J'onn," –Diana's radio still with Chopper— "and he says they've found a cure! They should be able to distribute it before anyone fully succumbs to Aresia's poison!"

The soldiers erupted into cheers, while Wonder Woman and the Straw Hats breathed a sigh of relief.

Aresia merely hunched down lower. Star Sapphire was still unconscious, tied to a support beam by heavy chains, the gem that gave her powers facing away from the heroes.

"Thank goodness!" cried Brook. "I was so worried about them, that I was afraid I'd die." Then he paused. "Oh wait, I'm already dead! Yo ho ho ho~!"

"We'll be taking the bomber," Nami declared. "The missiles are off it, and we'll drop it off at the Gotham airfield. That'll give us enough of a head's start so as to not endanger the truce."

The heroes glanced at each other, then nodded at the pirates. "Before you go, Robin," Wonder Woman said. "That story you told, is it true?"

Serenely, Robin smiled. "It doesn't matter if it's true or not, you already know it easily could be. That's the world we live in."

Shayera's grip tightened on her mace, even as her face remained impassive. She had grown up in the ongoing Thanagarian-Gordanian War, with the latter committed to either the extermination or enslavement of her people. As a Thanagarian soldier, she had _seen_ entire planetary populations slaughtered. Civilizations ended by the Gordanians, because they shared the same type of fanaticism as Aresia; the belief that they were superior to all others, and had a responsibility to do whatever was necessary to reshape the universe to match their vision. Even by killing any and all who opposed them.

Hippolyta stepped to the side, curious to see how her daughter handled this. She would also remain alert for her if the pirates tried anything.

Cocking her head, body at ease, Wonder Woman got right into the heart of it. "The hardest part about what is going on between us, is that besides everything, you seem like good people. It's just that you've been so hurt in the past, that you're determined to forge your own path without a care of what happens along the way, even if it takes violence. You don't like to kill, yet you still cause immense damage that you refuse to see and acknowledge. More importantly, it won't stay fun forever.

"All it will take is one mistake, one step too far, and you'll go from being 'relatively harmless,' to becoming cold-blooded killers. I don't want to see that happen to you, and only the gods can bring back the dead."

Coming to stand beside Aresia, Hawkgirl added, "And your past cannot be used to excuse your actions. Ultimately you're responsible for your own decisions."

Nami raised the tip of her bo-staff a few centimeters. "Don't underestimate us," she warned.

"But the biggest issue between us," Wonder Woman went on, "is that of Justice. What we each think of it."

"The path of Justice may appear righteous and easy to walk," Brook solemnly warned. "But if you continue down that path, you may very well find yourselves consumed by it; incapable of seeing the evil you are committing."

"Right now your Justice League has some actually decent people in it," Nami added, while Robin remained silent. "We just don't want you going down the same path as other people we know. Being heroes, and following Justice, aren't necessarily the same thing."

"You don't really mean that," Wonder Woman said, causing the pirates to look surprised. "Or rather, most of the criminals we meet don't believe in Justice because they believe in taking whatever they want. They don't want to think it's real. You one the other hand all _know_ it's not real, and think us arrogant for acting as if it is. That in trying to protect the planet, we're a bunch of egomaniacs. Thinking we can do the impossible, while glorifying in the adulation of the public. That, or we're just simply naïve."

The Straw Hats said nothing.

Opening her mouth to speak, Shayera paused as she remembered the thoughts she had just had on the Gordanians and Aresia. After a moment of introspection, the undercover agent reoriented herself. She hefted up her mace to show the pirates. "What I believe in, is that I do Justice. That I go out there, and do enough Rights to make up for all the Wrongs in the world, even if it means hitting people with this. We don't kill though, we don't take people from this world. For all their faults, we do our best to give everyone a chance to improve this world, this universe. While also putting a limit on ourselves, to keep us from going too far. Maybe that's arrogant, but I don't care. I won't stop saving people."

A skull is a perfect poker face, and Nami and Robin were equally impassive. Nevertheless, Hawkgirl caught a slight shift of uneasiness.

Smiling, Wonder Woman finished it, remembering her own childhood teachings, and experiences since leaving Themyscira. "After all, if we don't believe in Justice, and don't teach others to do so, to safeguard it, how will it _become_ real? And that? _That_ is worth believing in!"

The Straw Hats regarded them without a word for two whole minutes, with the heroes meeting their gaze. Finally, Nami sighed, and shrunk her staff back into a baton. Stuffing it between her breasts, she turned around to head for the plane they were borrowing. As the rest of her crew followed behind her, she called over her shoulder, "Goodness knows, this dump could use some real heroes. I only hope your resolve is up to the test."

A minute later, the bomber took off.

"Alright," Shayera grinned as she clapped a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Now, enough philosophy. Let's get these ladies," –gesturing at the defeated Aresia and her teammates— "properly secured. Then we can go see the boys in the Watchtower as they wake up."

"We'll probably have to tie Batman down to make sure he has enough rest," Diana grinned, causing a small chuckle to escape Shayera's own lips.

 **!JUSTICE!**

It was surprisingly easy for the Straw Hats to fly away. The advanced aircraft was largely automated, meaning even a novice could get by. Doubtless another reason why Aresia wanted to steal it, with that irony only making it more delicious for the pirates. Presently, a few of Robin's arms were handling the controls, while the original and full clone were reviewing the instruction manual.

If all else failed, they would aim for the river and get out before it crashed. There were even rocket-packs available instead of parachutes—which they were keeping regardless. Seriously, how much did a craft like this cost?

"Are you sure about telling her all of that about Ohara, Robin?" Nami queried.

"It's no concern," the statuesque woman assured her. Then she gave a giggle. "This world's had so many conflicts of late, that the information's nearly useless to them. I could be from any number of countries that experienced genocide."

"Please don't laugh at that," Nami sweatdropped at her friend's darker sense of humour.

"For the record," and now a bony hand rested gently on Robin's shoulder, "I'm glad you didn't turn out like _her_." While he said it lightly as a joke, there was no denying the underlying seriousness to his words.

Nami scoffed. "If Robin really wanted to kill people to stop stuff like that, she'd have already resurrected the Ancient Weapons to destroy the World Government. For all that she acts, she isn't that type of killer."

"Am I, Nami?" Robin softly asked. "Alabasta."

The navigator stilled at that single word, and the taboo it represented. Brook understood, yet kept quiet. While his crewmates may have discreetly informed him about what had happened there, it did not change he had never actually been present.

". . . Even then," Nami confidently said after a bare moment of hesitation, "you didn't really want to do it. You were so focused on the Poneglyphs that yes you did nothing while a nation nearly collapsed into civil war, with thousands dead and millions more endangered. I haven't forgotten that. It's just that it was _Crocodile_ who was behind that. Trying to warn Cobra would've gotten you killed, either by him, or the marines learning and coming down on Alabasta without caring how many they killed to get at you. Deep down, you know you couldn't have stopped him, Robin. Not without getting yourself killed, and Crocodile succeeding anyways. Instead, you did everything you could to discreetly sabotage his schemes. Leading Vivi to him, giving Alabasta a chance to solve the crisis itself, and if you hadn't then she never would've been able to stop the war after his defeat. You even saved Luffy's life so he could fight, despite how badly outclassed he'd been the first time. And at the very end, knowing you were facing a Warlord of the Sea who would kill you, you denied him the one thing that would have guaranteed his victory.

"What you did was wrong, but I honestly don't know what else you could've done."

Despite herself, Robin smiled warmly as she filed her memory of this conversation away into the mental folder labeled 'Reasons To Keep On Living.'

It was surprisingly thick after only three or so years.

"You've thought about this a lot. Thank you."

Shrugging, Nami just kept her interest on the skies. Carefree as them.

The other two were not fooled.

"You wanted revenge yourself," Brook softly said. He had seen how Nami had glared at Aresia, both during the confrontation, and afterwards when she was helpless.

"Yes," and in Nami's raw tone was pain and hatred. Old wounds from Arlong and the sense of helpless after learning about Marineford, had bubbled up at the sight of all those _idiot men_ that were her _family_ , dying from a _poison_. By some coward who chose to strike them down from afar as if they were irrelevant.

Luffy's warmth had healed most of those scars, had fixed her when she had been all but broken by her need to save her island. If she ever lost that now however . . . she would not break down in despair; Nami the Cat Burglar would unleash a monster every bit as fearsome as her One-and-Only-Captain.

All the Straw Hats had that beast within them, all born from the anguish of their past lives, and what they had endured upon the seas. They were kept in place by chains forged by their own intrinsic knowledge of Right and Wrong. The examples of their precious role models. And because their nakama would expect it of them.

To save the world from Aresia, their very own code of conduct compelled them to be willing to lay down their lives if necessary to stop her.

(That was one reason they appreciated having the Justice League around, because they could do it for them. Unfortunately, this time most of the League were already incapacitated.)

To save their _nakama_ from Aresia, they would be willing to pay an even higher price.

None of them said anything about Robin's threat to burn the world; Nami and Brook were well aware that at Water 7 she had already made that choice. That Robin had placed the whole of the world on a scale, and found that it was outweighed by the lives of a handful of individuals she had only just recently met. For them, she was even willing to give the World Government the Ancient Weapons. Nami did not know if she could make such a decision, and prayed she never would have to. At the same time, she would never condemn her nakama for what she had done. Never.

"Aresia almost succeeded, and for the stupidest of reasons," Nami continued. "Even worse, I can understand why she might feel that way, if never accept it. Death isn't how you make the world better," she drew in a harsh breath, "and I'm glad I walked away from it." Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder in dismissal. "And I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of being a martyr."

"I'm glad I didn't feel the need either," Brook confessed. "Like Hawkgirl said, while we may be only Human, that doesn't excuse us from the decisions we make."

The skeleton brooded for a moment before realizing how depressing this conversation is. "More importantly however, we've confirmed the existence of an island of woman, and have clues as to where it lies! Panties! Panties galore!"

"GYAH!" shouted Nami as she punched him.

 **!JUSTICE!**

With interest, Queen Hippolyta stared out the window to gaze down upon the form of Gaia, the Earth. _This 'Watchtower' of theirs . . . truly it is a marvel!_

Her daughter's teammates Green Lantern and Superman were finishing distribution of the cure, while Flash, Batman, and J'onn were providing what remaining medical care and emergency relief was needed. They had all insisted that Shayera (Hawkgirl's real name apparently) and Diana get some rest, citing that while they had been saving the world, the men had been 'lying around all day.' Hippolyta was also supposed to be getting a few hours' sleep. Alas, it eluded her as her mind raced.

Today she had seen more of Man's World than she had in centuries, as well as the newest challenges it be faced. _And if those we met were but the subordinates, what must their commander be like?_

Still, based upon Diana's performance, she was confident she and the Justice League would handle it.

For all the pain that she could not put to rest, Aresia had been an incredibly dangerous adversary. The books on germ warfare retrieved from Man's World that she had left on Themyscira, found after she had begun her final preparations, hinted that her campaign had been long in planning. The execution: a masterstroke.

Aresia had effortlessly led whole gang of super-villains with their individual greed, cruelty, and personal issues. Carried out high-profile heists with little issue. And finally, unleashed a bio-weapon that had come within a hair's breadth of success. With Hippolyta herself as a hostage, and luring Diana and Shayera in with Star Sapphire, it was entirely conceivable she would have won. Her only flaw was her blindness to how far other women were willing to go in defense of men.

 _Shall I tell my daughter of the real gifts Hephaestus endowed upon the Lasso and armour?_ Hippolyta wondered. . . . _Not yet. Some more seasoning would serve her well. Their true power, to wield Truth itself, is too great a burden for her to bear now._

 _And speaking of the Truth, I fear it is time for me and my Sisters to confront the changing Truths of Man's World . . ._

 **!JUSTICE!**

The Justice League debriefing regarding the Straw Hats was underway, and the heroes were all grim as they considered the facts.

"I honestly can't tell how much of what they said was true or not," Diana admitted, after she had finished recounting the events.

"It seemed like they believed what they were saying," Hawkgirl said, "but they were slanting it, or being vague, to keep us from verifying their tales. They didn't want us learning anything else from them."

"I wonder if it is significant that the skeleton, Brook, said nothing about his own origins," Martian Manhunter pondered aloud.

"I don't know," Diana said with a pensive look. "All I do know, is that I've never seen such skill with a sword before. Moving so fast, and cutting so fine that the victim doesn't even know they've been cut until he has walked ten steps away from them? It's unheard of! And the entire time he was travelling with us, or any time he was not fighting, he was acting, acting—" she hesitated in thought.

"Acting like Flash?" Hawkgirl offered, throwing the speedster a speculative look.

"Yes!" Diana agreed, also appearing to be re-evaluating her friend.

Guzzling down his pop, Flash produced a massive belch.

Unimpressed, the heroines returned to the topic at hand. "At the same time, he and the others seemed to have a strange habit of calling out phrases when they attack. Like they've named them, and feel the need to say them while fighting," Hawkgirl quizzically noted.

The rest of the Justice League were also confused by something so silly.

"Given their power, I assume they feel confident they can spare the time to do so on the battlefield," Queen Hippolyta announced, a special guest at the table.

"Is there anything else you would add?" Batman asked. A fine judge of character himself, he knew her majesty had more to offer.

She tapped her armrest once in thought. "They are no mere band of brigands. They are fiercely loyal to each other, and coordinate together seamlessly. Moreover, I believe that Nico Robin was speaking the truth when she said they would set the world afire if it meant the safety of the others. It's even possible they believe they can. Aresia threatened to do so out of a misguided attempt to find relief from her pain. Them? They would do it out of unconditional love."

The League all exchanged uneasy glances at this.

"As for the specific characters of those I observed," Hippolyta went on, "I do not have much more to add. Nico Robin delights in appearing an enigma, choosing her words with careful precision. Her eyes and movements betray her as a wary and dangerous opponent.

"At first I believed the skeleton's behaviour was a performance to put us at ease. Upon further consideration however, it was too flawless. I would say it is how he acts routinely, even around those he explicitly trusts. Therefore I would describe him as someone who chooses to live his life in a happy and carefree manner, yet can summon forth the skills of a veteran warrior with hardly a thought.

"Finally, for all that she acted in charge, I would say that the redhead was the weakest of the three. The others were always carefully near her to act as support, ready to protect her if necessary. While I do not know the source of her powers, and as effective as she demonstrated them to be, they remind me more of elaborate tricks, rather than a strength inherent to her. Despite this, she is clearly adept at making those actually more dangerous than her, think that _she_ is the largest and most fearsome predator."

Hippolyta glanced at her daughter and Hawkgirl, who considered her words. Slowly, they nodded in agreement. 

"This is definitely not going to be easy," Batman growled. "A gang of supervillains whose members have already proven they can go toe-to-toe with us individually. Worst, they're organized, loyal, and able to cooperate without issue."

"They almost sound like the Rogues from Central City," Flash offered speculatively. "Except these guys are a lot stronger, and a lot more—" he hesitated out of consideration for the Rogues. They were not _all_ bad after all. "More rational," he hazarded.

"What're you're thoughts on why they're banned from Gotham?" Green Lantern asked. "Why didn't you press them on that?"

"We had bigger priorities!" snapped Hawkgirl, surprisingly angry that he was questioning their decisions in the field. Never mind that she would be more composed about it if any of the other men had brought it up.

"It could've been a valuable clue!" he fired back.

"Easy guys," Flash interjected, giving placating gestures with his hands. "It's all in the past. And they were dealing with a bigger problem. Personally, I feel they made the right call. While maybe the gals could've asked after things quieted down, there was a lot going on at the time. What matters most is that they stopped Aresia. Besides, we weren't there, so it isn't our call to make."

With a huff, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern subsided.

"In terms of clues," Martian Manhunter offered, "there are the assistants Dr. Chopper had. They concealed their identities, but by their interaction, there were more than one. Moreover, they are competent enough that he judged them able to contribute. I would not jump to the assumption they are females however. From the way Dr. Chopper criticized our quarantine methods," –which were next on the agenda— "it is very possible they were men who kept themselves safe."

"It wouldn't be difficult for them to contact another medical company, offering their services," Batman mused. "That would explain where they got their help for this." Then he gave Wonder Woman a flat look. "Now, what's really bothering you?"

Not even bothering to hide her frustration that he had seen right through her, Diana blew out a breath. "I'm not entirely sure about this, and it's just a theory based upon what they said; not what we know is true. From what I can tell, we're going after them because they're criminals, and we're afraid of what they'll do in the future. That's why they're our enemies."

Now her face hardened. "The reason why _we_ are _their_ enemies, is _because_ we believe in Justice. Something about it has poisoned the term for them. That whatever we say is 'wrong' is something they'll do because it's not considered Justice. Except it's more than that, more than just children lashing out at authority. These aren't immature or unreasonable people; they have a strong reason to believe in whatever exactly it is they do, even if they're keeping quiet about it. Something that gives them a sense of commitment to what they're doing. As well as how while we fear what crimes they will commit in the days to come, they fear we will become villains ourselves, while believing we are still righteous."  
It was obvious that such thoughts and introspection were uncomfortable at her, chipping at her usually unflappable confidence. Despite this, she was not finished.

"More importantly, we still don't know their final motives. People like this . . . they're aren't doing it for money, power, politics, or world conquest. They have an endgame, and we don't have any clue as to what it is."

Scowling a little, but steadfast in his commitment to Truth and Justice, Superman turned to face each of his friends and companions. "It doesn't matter, we still have to stop them. And we will," he promised. "We've beaten every other threat together, and we won't falter now."

"And now we've got another lead," Hawkgirl stated, and Wonder Woman grinned with satisfaction.

 **!JUSTICE!**

In a concealed hideout, a pair of eyes blinked open and groaned out, "Meeeeeat! Sanji . . .. meeeeat."

"He's all better!" Chopper cried with joy. Laughing, Brook resumed playing his violin to help encourage the others to recover. Nami gave sigh of relief before berating her Captain for making them worry, to hide the anxiety she had felt. Smiling Robin, went to get some food.

" **Meeeeat**!"

"Hold . . . yer . . . orses…" slurred Sanji automatically.

Zoro was a little more awake, choosing to stoically endure what he assumed was his first-ever hangover. _I really hate this world. They can't even do booze right . . ._

 **!JUSTICE!**

"So, anything you want to tell us? It might be enough to reduce your sentence," Batman lightly offered. He was one of the few people who could play both Good Cop and Bad Cop. Acting composed and reasonable at first made it all the more unnerving when you switched to threatening and intimidating.

A depowered Star Sapphire glowered at the hero, while her handcuffs clinked. "I tried to kill off half the planet!" she spat. "How much do you really think I can reduce it!?" Then she paused in consideration. "But I can tell you about those Straw Hat Pirates that you're so worried about."

"Who says we're worried?"

"They took me and the others down without breaking a sweat. That means they're dangerous to you too," the convict retorted.

"What do you know?" They both knew that whatever information she had was invaluable right now. On the other hand, Star Sapphire's situation truly was abysmal. It was the only card she had to play, and Tsukuri was still alive to question. Not to mention that the League would be talking to other supervillains in custody. She had to make a deal before someone else did.

She had overheard the guards talking about the news, that Aresia had been extradited to Theymsicra. There had been some discontent that she had not been brought before the Hague for war crimes, although the guards expressed their relief over having to secure someone so obviously dangerous and resourceful. In the end, the fact that the Amazon's own head of state had risked her life to stop her traitorous subject, and the League's own support, had led the grateful nation to approve of her transfer.

"I want special privileges while I'm in prison. And off the death penalty."

Batman saw no problem with that, and they could always be revoke it if the woman misbehaved or lied. "We'll decide what you get once we've heard what you've got."

Star Sapphire paused, then admitted to herself this was probably the best she was going to get for now. Besides, the League was too prideful to break their word over this, and that she could always hold onto some details for later. "Whoever they are, they're becoming a big name in the underworld. The thing is, I almost went to work for them before Aresia approached me and the rest first."

"What do you mean 'work for'?" he asked, barely hiding his growing dread.

Leaning forward, Star Sapphire crooned, "They're _recruiting_ , Batman. A bunch of others are already on their payroll, and some of them are big players in their own right!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Brook was only partially affected by the** **allergen because frankly what does and does not affect him can vary.**

 **.**

 **The conversation between Shayera and Diana at the end was inspired by Death's own thoughts on belief in "Hogfather," by Terry Pratchett. And then I watched "Secondhand Lions" the very next day :-P**

 **-0-**

 **For those of you who want to speculate on which super-villains the Straw Hats have recruited, just remember the following:**

 **1) They have to be in the DCAU. In that light, bear in mind that some are notably different from their origins and/or characters than in other continuities.**

 **2) They have to have a reason to want to work for the Straw Hats.**

 **3) The Straw Hats have to have a reason to want to recruit them. And that is not just in terms of their abilities. Remember how picky Luffy can be.**

 **4) If I recruit them, what impact will that have on future 'episodes'?**

 **For example, Deadshot in the DCAU is Caucasian (i.e. not Will Smith) with no indications he has a child (who would be prime blackmail material for one particular episode). As a ruthless man working entirely for the money, and his sexist comments to Wonder Woman, I could not see the Straw Hats letting him join. Finally, recruiting him would mean that the Season 3 episode 'Task Force X' would not be as good . . .**

 **If I choose to do that episode of course ;-)**

 **Also, Star Sapphire was only originally planning to _apply_ to work for the Straw Hats. That is not to say she would have been accepted.**

 **Curious as to what you guys have to say! :-D**

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 **Next chapter: 'Enter the Villains'**

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 **Please Review and I will get back to you!**


	6. Enter the Villains

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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Justice

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Chapter 6: Enter the Villains!

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 _Previously:_

 _After working together with members of the Straw Hats to stop a genocidal plague, the Justice League interrogates one of the supervillains involved, who reveals that the Straw Hats have been actively recruiting other criminals._

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 **Spoilers for One Piece Manga chapters 840 and 852.**

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A few weeks after the Straw Hats first arrived

If they had been run-of-the-mill pirates, they would never have been able to pull it off. On the other hand if they had been your average pirates, they would have been dead long ago.

Nico Robin had been forced to grow up in the criminal underworld back home, rising to be the right hand of one of the world's most powerful crime syndicates, whose duties included counter-intelligence as she kept both Alabasta's monarchy, and the World Government from finding the truth. Then she had studied under Dragon 'the Revolutionary' himself, and the Straw Hats all just expected that she knew even more than just that. Franky was the former mafia boss of his hometown. Nami was a talented actress and thief. Usopp, Sanji, Jinbe were all both brilliant and adaptive, and the rest of crew started looking into what they could contribute; except Zoro, who concluded that at some point they would need to fight somebody, and until then he just felt like having a nap. As for Luffy . . . the crew found ways to keep him too occupied to 'help.' TV was _magnificent_ in that regard.

And of course Usopp was happy to brag about his vast experiences from leading his fleet of eight thousand men before ever meeting the crew.

The problem was straightforward: they were all trapped in an alien world, specifically one without the One Piece, and no idea how they had gotten there or how to get back.

Their usual solution, finding someone who knew something and doing whatever it took to get the necessary co-operation, was hindered by the fact that no-one here had a clue how to help them.

Consequently, they had to figure out how to do it themselves.

Unfortunately, they still needed help to pull this off. Worse, that required doing something previously inconceivable: hiring people to do the work.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Warily, the feline figure scouted around the dark alley. To the world at large she was known as Cheetah, a dangerous super-villainous. No one, not even herself, referred to her as Dr. Barbara Minerva anymore. The name she had used when she had been fully human.

An ambitious research scientist exploring the possibilities of grafting animal characteristics onto humans, her frustration at insufficient funding had 'forced' her to use herself as a test subject, transforming herself into a human-cheetah hybrid. Now she found herself skulking around at night in the shadows, a freak, committing to crime to attain funds, stealing where she could, or being hired by others, no matter how dirty the deed.

For tonight, she had been contacted by individuals who, predictably, had wished to remain anonymous, yet were willing to meet her face-to-face. Obviously, she would have to be on guard for whatever mischief they had in mind. _Although the crude manner in which they went about getting a hold of me shows that they're rank amateurs at this_.

There was a system for navigating through the criminal underworld, separating those with powers, abilities, public aliases, etc. from the normal crooks and riffraff, and it was clear that whoever these newbies were, they were still rather clumsy at the process. Fortunately, it was equally evident they had lots of money to spend, despite how much had been wasted on false-starts making contact with her. _Which means I have to be even more careful of course. I don't know why they want me in particular._

"What're you doing?"

Spinning around like lightning, the snarling cat woman threw herself claws first at the man who had come up behind her, catching the briefest glance of his surprise—

She was flat on her back, winded yet unhurt, staring up at her stalker in the straw hat who still appeared confused.

She was not fooled.

Every hair was standing up on end, her feline instincts _screaming_ at her to show them her belly and throat, and to be as submissive as possible.

Power.

Overwhelming _power_.

For the briefest of moments this seemingly blank-faced boy radiated such an intense inner strength that it absolutely terrified her. It had not been the 'human' in her that saw it, but the 'animal' that knew she dared not make him angry. Dared not draw attention to herself lest she be consumed.

Then he stuffed his pinky up his nose to pick at it, while tilting his head in bewilderment. "What's wrong?"

Aaaaaand there that feeling went. Out the door and wondering why it had even been here in the first place. Now he just seemed like an average idiot.

"Were you scouting about to sneak up on us?" a tall woman in her late twenties or early thirties cheerfully asked as she stepped forward, and again Cheetah felt a twitch of warning. "To answer your question, yes we are the ones who are to meet you, and we're glad you came early."

"Allow me, mademoiselle," a calm, kind voice asked, and a blond haired man stepped forward, offering her a hand up. While his solely visible eye smoldered with attraction that was disturbing, it was also weirdly familiar. _It's like he's treating me like a normal woman, and not like one of those furry perverts. Just regular perversion._

A little shakily, she let herself be helped up, and took in the whole group, the majority of whom appeared as strange and exotic as her. _That one smells of machinery, and is that a blue alien? A skeleton? Whatever they are, no wonder they wanted to meet in these back alleys; it's got to be even harder for them to lay low._ Regaining her mental balance a little, she gruffly asked, "So, what do you want?"

A red-haired young woman answered. "We need to acquire advanced scientific information and knowledge, mostly in the realm of physics. You're both a skilled thief, and while specializing in biology and bioengineering, supposedly have contacts with other scientist, particularly the _unscrupulous_ kind."

"How much're you offering?" Cheetah inquired, her interest piqued. She had a chance to make a lot of easy money tonight.

The apparent negotiator snorted. "No, we're not starting by telling you that, do you think we're amateurs?"

"Do you like being a cat-lady?"

Everyone turned to the one with the straw hat at the non sequitur.

"What do you mean, Luffy?" asked a furry creature that Cheetah thought smelled tasty, even as her same feral side warned her it was scarily unnatural. An herbivore that preyed upon carnivores . . .

"I dunno," the one apparently named Luffy said, seemingly unconcerned about his own ignorance. "She just seems less at ease like this."

"You mean since I turned myself into a freak?" Cheetah blandly asked, wanting to observe how they would react.

They all looked at her in confusion now, as if they were perfectly used to conversing with human-animal hybrids. . . . Which given their little furball was a possibility, yet raised the question of where he came from.

"What if we offered you help in curing yourself then?" the brunette woman offered. "Presumably your crimes then are to support yourself, and to try and find a way to revert back to your old self. We can help you with that."

Despite herself, Cheetah's tail flicked in anticipation, even as she reminded herself it was probably a scam. _You mean keep me compliant and grateful with scraps that promise eventual salvation?_ It was too good to be true after all. . . . As sincere as they seemed to be.

"In addition to this assistance, we're also offering you a retainer fee," declared the blue alien.

She pretended to think about it, and then quoted a sum. The man with metal gloves or metal hands, and blue hair, just grinned and made a counter offer, which she knew was perfectly reasonable. _Guess they've done more homework than I thought._

"We could use some extra help with our own jobs getting cash and equipment, for which you would be compensated" the blonde man added genially.

Cheetah hesitated.

On one hand these people were sending off warning bells she had never even known existed. _But they're also practically offering to hand me what I want on a silver platter. And I can always slit their throats if necessary . . ._

However, deep down she knew she was just trying to fool herself. The way her instincts had been raving, she knew would never have the chance to do so. _Nevertheless, nothing ventured, nothing gained . . ._

"If you work for us," the straw hat guy said again, and now Cheetah realized how the rest of them were circled around him as if he were in charge, "you're also under our protection."

This was apparently off-script.

With most of the older members of the strange group, something passed between them. There was not a word, nor the slightest twitch of a muscle, yet somehow they seemed to come to attention, becoming far more lethal. The younger ones however . . .

"What!?" shrieked the teen with the long nose. "Why're we going that far for her!? Why!? We don't need to get pulled into supervillains or superheroes!"

Deciding that offer was pretty vague, Cheetah held up a paw to clarify. "Sorry, what do you mean by protection, exactly?"

"If you need money we'll give you a _special_ loan," promised the redhead, her eyes all but flashing with dollar signs.

"Uhm . . ."

"You'll get medical help too," said the little furry creature who continued to weirdly shift between tasty _prey_ and terrifying _not-prey_ to Cheetah's senses, and everyone else seemed to agree with that.

"You won't go hungry," the man in the black suit gravely said, acting professional while ignoring his partner.

"Restful music to soothe away the sorrows of the day~!" crooned the skeleton having pulled out a guitar from . . . under his coat and inside his ribcage? _How'd that even fit in there!?_

Swelling up his chest, the long-nose complainer than boasted, "And no one would dare hurt you if you were associated with me, Usopp!"

"If anyone hurts you," all levity died, and even the air dared not whisper as Cheetah's eyes snapped back to this gang's leader. There was _something_ in his tone, a conviction that was as unnerving as it was awe-inspiring. He appeared to be the youngest and most dull looking of the group, yet that glimpse of power before and now this, told her that he was something . . . _more_. "Then we make them pay, so that they never do that again, and no one else will want to," he finished.

"It'd be a matter of honour," adds in someone who had not spoken up yet. Except for his green hair, he appeared normal as he lounged against a wall. Then he tilted his head to reveal one eye scarred shut, and he barred his teeth into a grin that spoke of a bloodthirsty animal. An apex predator unafraid to assert his position when necessary.

Gulping, Cheetah nodded, both reassured and also more than a little afraid.

 _I guess they might have the muscle to pull this off after all. But what exactly is the catch here?_

"Do you get a cut of my profits for any jobs I do for you?"

At this the redhead stepped forward. "Twenty-five percent—"

"Nami!" whined the man with the hat.

With a resigned sigh, the woman corrected herself. "Ten percent, and only if the job you carry out is done with fellow members of our organization or our resources. And we still pay you regularly."

"Just don't get into debt, or you'll never pay it off," the green-haired man groused, before being hit on the head by the redhead woman who seemed to be handling financing. The sudden shift in dynamics as he appeared passive towards her was only enhanced they mystery they all were. Trying to define them, put a label on their actions . . . they were just too bewildering. Too complex.

 _There's only one way to be sure_ , Cheetah knew. "What if I say no?"

She tensed up, waiting for the inevitable threat that would prove who they were. Except none of them reacted.

Luffy merely went back to picking his nose and flicking away a booger, barely missing the man in the black suit who scowled, yet cut himself off from saying anything as his boss spoke up again. "Then you go home, and we go back to where we're staying, and then go and find someone else." Then he flashed his teeth in a smile that seemed to be the rising sun. "But you'll miss out on some _awesome_ stuff if you do!"

There might have been a threat in that statement, nevertheless she also recognized that they could indeed make this same excellent offer to someone else, so it was best to get in while the going was good. Despite this however, she still had a lengthily list of questions about them.

Trying to regain her footing, she tried one last thing to try and get a sense of what they were up to. "So what is this," she gestured at them all, "some sort of plan for world domination?"

"Why'd I want to do something as stupid as that?" the young spokesman blankly asked her.

Cheetah's mind stalled at the question, trying to think of an answer. _Is he really a super-villain?_ "Wealth, power, fame, whatever," she managed.

"But if I ruled the world—"

 _'I,' he used 'I,' so he really is the one in charge?_

"—then I'd be the one responsible for it. Ruling, keeping things going, why'd I want to do that?" Then his face stretched into an honest, carefree smile that sent a tingle throughout her. "I just want to be free!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Why we here?" moaned the living corpse, Solomon Grundy.

"So you can carry stuff!" snapped Livewire, but then Poison Ivy placed a calming hand on her partner's shoulders, before turning to Grundy. While immune to her powers, like any man he was still vulnerable to a pretty lady putting a hand to her hip and looking at him with interest and adoration. Typical, even dead, men were incapable of using their brain to think. Mustering her patience as she repeated herself for the umpteenth time, Poison Ivy put on her sultry tone. "Livewire needs this generator, and once we've got it, we'll pay you for helping us." Probably. Maybe.

"Okay!" grinned Grundy, and stepped forward to yank the door off of the building, while Livewire, formerly the popular 'shock jock' Leslie Willis, shook her head in disgust. She had once been an immensely successful, and controversial, radio star, whose shows had emphasized ridiculing Superman, denouncing him as nothing but 'the world's strongest _con_ -man.' Then tragedy struck in the form of a lightning bolt at a concert of hers, with Superman present —and doing nothing to help her. Miraculously, she survived, if also suffering a host of changes, including turning blue. More importantly, she had been bestowed the power to generate and manipulate electricity. Blaming Superman for his role in her transformation, and vowing to kill him, her repeated failures had led to committing regular crimes. "Almost as bad as the clown," Livewire muttered.

The woman once known as Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley frowned at this reference to her other, and far more preferred, partner: Harley Quinn. Together, the two ladies were capable of some impressive stuff, despite how ditzy she admitted Harley could be. Unfortunately, the woman in question was currently with the Joker, and however loathsome the Clown Prince might be, and abusive, Ivy tried to respect her friend's wishes.

Livewire was just a 'business associate' for Ivy, albeit a useful and powerful one with mastery of electricity.

The woman's need to recharge herself was one of her main hindrances however, leading to the decision to rob an experimental, prototype generator for her to use. Given the bulk of it, and how dangerous it was (the words 'experimental prototype' being a big clue), Ivy was unwilling to risk her precious plants by having them carry it. Hence the need for some muscle, which is what Grundy was here to provide. While the corpse was immune to Ivy' pheromones, he was still vulnerable to Livewire's electricity if necessary, and his idiocy more than compensated for turning him into a drone like Ivy did to most men.

Security wisely fled rather than engage the three supervillains as they quickly tore their way through. Livewire's power had already fried any way for them to call for help.

"This it?" wondered the massive, pale form of Grundy asked, as he looked up at the even larger metal contraption, with ominous looking cables sticking out of it.

"Congratulations," Livewire told him, her sarcasm flying over his head.

Just before he could begin to tear the generator out of place, someone yelled at them.

"Hey! That's ours!"

Spinning around, they saw nine figures behind them, some wielding possessive stares. "We stole that first!" snapped the red headed woman.

"We're the ones who're actually in the room, idiot!" snapped Livewire. "It's ours!" With that she launched a lightning bolt at them, which the newcomers dodged with disturbing ease.

"We'll see about that! I need to strip it for those SUPER rare parts!" boomed a muscular man with . . . blue hair shaped like a lion's head, complete with stylized jaws, open as if it were roaring?  
 _Great, another future Arkham Asylum inmate,_ Ivy wearily thought, before releasing her pheromones against the men.

What happened next however was puzzling.

The green-haired man with swords immediately leapt into the air and out of the way as if he could detect her pheromones, drawing two swords. The one with the straw hat also moved out of the way. The big blue one was unfazed, as was the skeleton and furry creature, and the guy with the criminally bad hairstyle. _Maybe they're too different from normal humans for it to work?_ Ivy worried.

Roaring, Grundy charged forward, rearing back a massive fist, before stumbling backwards.

Suddenly in front of him was the straw hat kid with all his teeth grinning, staring back at Grundy while cracking his knuckles. _Impressive. They say Grundy can go toe to toe with Superman. Except now he's close enough . . ._

"Oh, that wasn't very nice," purred Ivy, knowing he was now in range of her power. "Don't you want to be friends with us?"

"Sorry, but no," he apologized, with apparently genuine regret. "We really need this generator. Probably. Franky thinks it might be useful."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Inside Luffy's mind

"Hey there, big guy, want a wild night?" ask the sultry voiced, curved figure of Ivy's pheromones, meant to turn any male into her man slave.

"Snnr snnrr snnnoorre" Luffy's libido answered as it turned over in its sleep with its straw hat on its head, dreaming of thick, juicy meat. Literal meat. Served at the table by Sanji for the whole crew to eat.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"What are you?" Ivy gasped, taking a fearful step back.

"Your dutiful servant, milady!"

Spinning around, Ivy found the last of the men who had arrived, kneeled before her, staring up at her with lust and worship.

"Well then," she rallied, "I—AAAAARGH!"

Lightning coursed through her body, before a concussive force of air smashed her into the very generator both sides were there to collect.

Pure chance kept Ivy from frying from it, but the machine was still knocked loose.

Blearily, she saw the redhead maneuvering a staff around, and felt a breeze. _She's blowing my pheromones away!_ The blonde haired man appeared to have also been shocked, now only staring at Ivy with disgusting lust.

Trying to get up, Ivy found human hands forming out of the ground to restrain her, and the redhead's staff extended itself like a spear, so that the tip was resting against her pale green throat.

" _If you_ **ever** _do that to Sanji again_ ," hissed the furious wielder, " _you'll_ **wish** _to be sent back to prison!_ "

Fearfully, Ivy rapidly nodded.

"Oh Nami-swan! You do love me!"

"Shut up!" the redhead snapped, as if automatically.

A scream of frustration drew her eyes, and saw that Livewire was throwing bolt after bolt at the swordsman, who was merely smirking as he casually dodged each and every one. Then he flicked a sword at the electric woman, who instinctively took her energy form.

"Gaah!" she cried, holding a bloody cheek.

"Surrender," the man sneered. "You can't hurt me, but I can reach you!"

"B-but I'm pure electricity, h-how can you even h-hurt me."

He just bore her down with his single eye.

"Screw this!" With a flash, Livewire became electricity again, and jumped into a nearby light fixture, and within moments had fled as fast as lightning.

"Oof!" Grundy moaned, before picking himself up.

His opponent, despite originally being a positive shrimp before him, was grinning and on the offensive, his fists having swelled to gigantean proportions, easily the size of Grundy himself, who was feeling those punches and hard. The next blow making the zombie land beside Ivy . . . and finish tipping over the generator.

*CRASH*

They all dully stared at the broken advanced prototype.

"Right," the woman holding Ivy prisoner –Nami-swan or something— sighed while shaking her head, and declared. "That was a bust. You doing alright, Sanji?" she asked, apparently having just realized she had actually struck him with some electrical attack of her own.

"Yes, Nami-swan!" crooned the blonde.

"Idiot!" snapped the swordsman. "You should have sensed that! Have you no self-preservation!?"

Sanji was clearly uncomfortable, awkwardly admitted, "It didn't feel like a threat to me."

The rest seemed to sag in resignation at that.

"Is it safe to come out now?"

"Yes, Usopp," Nami called back. With that, their relieved friend came forward. Unlike most of the others, he had taken the time to memorize the various public powerhouses around, particularly those who might be a threat to the crew. Poison Ivy's control over plants made her particularly dangerous for him, given the nature of his weapons, including his slingshot. It was highly probable she could even order them to attack his nakama. _I should probably diversify a bit while I'm here_ , Usopp decided _._

"So what now?" Ivy hesitantly asked.

"Now? You dare ask that after what you've done!" snarled the woman above her, the apparent leader. "You went and broke the generator we were both after, you clumsy fool!"

"Uhm," Ivy began, before glancing at the one with the straw hat, the guy named Usopp, and the little furry guy, who were furiously gesturing at her. As she interpreted them, they were trying to convey that Ivy should _not_ disagree with the supposed chain of events. Not if their horrified faces were anything to go by . . . or running their fingers over their throats.

"So what," she managed instead, "you want cash to make up for it? Sorry," she patted her skin tight, low-cut dress, "but I don't have my wallet on me."

"No," grinned the woman, and now Ivy felt a tingle of genuine fear. "You and the big guy are going to work for us, until you've both paid off your debt!"

Later both Grundy and Ivy found themselves passing up on opportunities to escape their supposed indentured servitude. After all, while it had been graphically described what would happen if Ivy tried to influence their chef again, even without using her powers, both of them agreed his food was far too good to miss!

At some point they were receiving pay cheques as well.

Wisely, they said nothing about them to Nami.

 **!JUSTICE!**

About a month before the closure of Cherry Blossom Medical

"We've got some more potential recruits today," Nami said, handing over the files Robin had assembled. "They've killed some people of course, yet nothing indiscriminate."

The others nodded, while Franky and Jinbe each picking up a profile to read. Since these people were even being considered, there would be nothing truly concerning of course. Still, best to be prepared.

"I'll talk to them after lunch," Luffy said, before stuff himself with more food.

Zoro was dozing, and Sanji was sulking.

"Hey, cheer up Sanji!" Luffy called out. "It's not like it's the end of the world. I mean, it's just that you aren't allowed to be part of the decision making process."

"But why not!?" the chef shrieked in indignation.

"You know perfectly well why," Zoro snapped as he popped open his eye. "You whine and sob every time we say a female villain can't join us, while moaning about how hot they look in those outfits!"

For her part, Nami merely sighed. Personally, she figured that before this would be over, the majority of those they recruited for help would be women. The male villains tended to be either too much like mercenaries for comfort, unstable, or with goals that were too divergent from their own. Or plain untrustworthy.

Not that it would appease Sanji.

Blithely Nami ignored how the man in question was furiously locked in mortal combat with Zoro.

(She also suspected –without a trace of irony— that some of those women had received plastic surgery to appear so attractive, despite their violent lives.)

 **!JUSTICE!**

Luffy hummed and hawed as he looked back and forth between Claire Selton, better known as Volcana, and Matt Hagen a.k.a. Clayface, both of them struggling to maintain their composure under his blank eyed stare.

Cheetah was also feeling a bit nervous, having gone through this process several times, only for her new boss to dismiss the candidates she had brought in.

Copperhead who was good for sneaking into places, rejected.

The Key, who could unlock anything, shown the door.

Deadshot, an experienced mercenary of considerable skill and dedication, never even got past the interview.

It was always Luffy's final decision after he had looked them over and talked to them.

The sultry Volcana was a victim of government experimentation who had turned to crime to survive, which Cheetah suspected might suit the man's own contempt for the system.

Like herself, Clayface had been transformed into a monster and then ostracized from society, driven deeper and deeper into crime. Now no longer treated as a Human, Cheetah privately thought she could try researching a cure for him, given how she was being helped in turn.

Already the Straw Hats had provided her with a new lab, and had taken the time to help her steal some valuable biological samples to help her research.

For the first time in years, she felt she was making genuine progress towards becoming Human again.

"Alright," Luffy finally said to the applying thieves. "I've got one last question for you guys."

It was the first thing he had said the whole time.

"What are your Dreams?" The capital letter was clearly heard.

The three super-villains started in surprise. Despite this unorthodox approach, Clayface answered easily enough. "To be human again, and become an actor again! Whatever it takes!"

Smirking, Volcana said, "Well, to be rich of course."

"That's lame."

She blinked in surprise at the calm rudeness of the man before her, then lit her hand on fire in a silent threat.

Unfazed, Luffy cocked his head. "And that's not the truth either. So what is your Dream? If it's what you want, you should be proud to say it."

Flinching, she stared into the depths of his eyes, and felt herself being judged by . . . something. _Som_ eone _I mean_ , she corrected herself. _This was just another person, no matter his powers, right?_

 _This could be my biggest gig yet_ , she reminded herself. _And if they laugh, I'll roast them._ She shrugged her shoulders in attempt to appear as if it were nothing, then ruined it by how she had to clear her throat.

Unwanted memories of her time imprisoned by Superman on a deserted island rose up in her. It had been warm and beautiful, away from the government men who would try to use or kill her again, with the surrounding ocean replacing prison walls she would have otherwise escaped by burning her way free. Except . . . for all her flirting with the Man of Steel, it had still been a prison. Solitary confinement, except for when her warden dropped by with supplies, and sometimes he was too occupied with crises to come by for days or even weeks. She had been on half-rations more than a few times before he could break away from whatever emergency was happening, and always only briefly.

Her only, sporadic, company a man of the law, while she remained a criminal. Oh, Superman had always been nice, friendly, infinitely patient, and when he could afford the time to talk to her, he tried to rehabilitate her. Eventually a boat had stumbled by, and she had talked her away aboard with some smooth talking (she knew it was best if Big Blue did not show up while she was surrounded by burnt corpses because things escalated), and made her way back to civilization.

Civilization . . . where she could never have a regular job without fear of being abducted in the middle of the night by 'rogue' government spooks. Where her only safety was in prison would be under the watchful eye of either 'heroes,' or officials who were actually honest. So instead she had chosen her final alternative: to be free on her own, using her powers as she desired. Wanted, and dangerous. To be the predator, not the prey.

"What I want," Volcana finally said, fires still lit, "is a fresh start, where no one can control me, imprison me, or judge me because of my abilities, or my past from when I was too powerless to control my own destiny."

No one laughed.

"Same here," Clayface quietly agreed.

She ignored him, hand still raised to scorch the interviewer if he did not choose his following words with great care.

Unfazed by his imminent death, the apparent man in charge tapped his chin in obvious thought, before giving a serious yet kind smile. "I'm sorry for what I said, and he's right, that is a great Dream! I totally agree with you!" Then a megawatt smile appeared. "It's pretty similar to my Dream too!"

He stood up, and as he did so, his clothing shifted enough to reveal his bare chest and what Volcana recognized as a massive burn scar right over his heart.

"Glad to have you!" Both his hands shot out to grab one of hers and Clayface's, and shook them in welcome, shocking them both that he could both impossibly hold onto the former actor's muddy body without the villain mentally making it more solid, and Volcana's without frying his own hand.

Still beaming, Luffy turned around and called out, "Sanji! Bring food!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Won't you come in?"

The instant where Talon Karrade froze was so brief it was almost invisible, but he quickly rallied himself, and continued into his own private office.

"How could I say no to such a lovely women who doubtless has a fine proposition to me," he genially asked.

Nico Robin merely graced him with an enigmatic smile as the man sat down behind his desk, lounging back into the guest chair she occupied while examining his pets, Strang and Durm. A rare breed of canine known as Presa Canario, they were obviously as intelligent and well trained as they were deadly.

While fine practice kept his face unreadable, Karrade's mind was racing with dread. He knew very well who she was, even if he had been unable to obtain a clear photo of her before: the leader of the growing gang known euphemistically as the 'Straw Hats.'

From what he could gather, she had personally and quietly destroyed various small-time criminal groups, and managed a growing criminal empire. At first Karrade had been suspicious of her role until she was seen giving instructions to one of her enforcers, the blonde with feet like steel.

"Do you know what my people and I find most admirable about you?" Nico pleasantly asked. "It's not that you're probably the world's foremost underworld information broker in addition to your impressive smuggling network, it's that you are only truly ruthless when it comes to protecting the interests of your subordinates." Her smile grew even more beautiful. "If I promised to leave your subordinates alone if you committed suicide here and now, your only concern would be guaranteeing their safety."

He _almost_ touched the panic button at that point. _But she's probably already disabled it and all my other security features. Most of them at least._

"And that is something my leader approves of." Karrade hid any reaction to this surprising tidbit "The ability to care about his followers before oneself is something he considers mandatory above all else. So you can relax."

Karrade tilted his head in thought. "You also know that my people are loyal to me in turn, and would disapprove of my untimely demise. Moreover, my intelligence network would not function nearly as well without me," he calmly parried. "Your own organization has been establishing your own intelligence network, along with trying to acquire money, articles of science, and other oddities with an unseemly haste. You need something."

They mystery woman appeared pleasantly surprised. "Yes indeed. Our own network is coming along well despite such a short period of time, yet it's clear I still have much to learn about keeping it as secret as your own. Which is why I'm here, and from what I see of your desk, this will be even easier than I thought."

As if he were unaware of which papers were scattered around on top of there, Karrade took a moment to examine; psychological profiles of various super-villains, with an emphasis on how they regarded regular humans.

He decided to place his cards on the table since she appeared to appreciate bluntness. Moreover, he was hoping in turn he would learn more about her leader.

 _That_ was something new for him, and he was unapologetically hungry for more details about this shadowy figure who had such a dangerous woman as a lackey.

Of course, if it was that man with the three swords, that would be both unsurprising and frankly boring.

"The number of individuals with super powers is growing," he admitted, placing his palms face-down on his desk. "We have advanced weaponry, but we are forced to consider the need of recruiting those with such abilities to match that of both law enforcement and our competitors. Unfortunately, those such powers who are also 'villains,'" he said with a twinge of irony at the term, "also tend towards mental . . . quirks shall we say. Ones that make them dangerous to my employees."

Instantly understanding, the brunette settled back in her chair –probably having already disabled the booby trap hidden within it— and gave a small tilt of her chin. "In exchange for information and your discretion, we'll pay you handsomely and assist you with metahumans who prove to be a challenge. The difficulty will be equivalent of the information you provide us of course."

Ergo, no taking on heroes for paltry scraps.

He reached over to pour some brandy for two. "I do believe we'll get along well then, so long," and now he gave her a slightly chilly look of his own, "as the discretion goes both ways."

"Of course," she simply agreed, foregoing the drink and getting up to leave. "I left a list of what we need in your safe, along with money to compensate for what I've already learned from you today."

With that she walked out the door.

Mere seconds later Karrade followed with Strang and Durm, concerned about how his subordinates might react, but she had already disappeared into thin air once out of sight.

Within his office, all his security features had indeed been disabled, as had his phone. The money in his safe however had included a little extra to pay for repairing his various security features. _Well, she seems to think she has a sense of humour . . ._

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sobbing, Permafrost ran through the alleys of Dakota. Even she had nearly forgotten her old name of Maureen Connor, and knew that everyone else had. Why would they not? She was unimportant. Now she was Permafrost, like the voices in the dark whispered.

 _Why, why'd I go there_ , she wondered as she fled. She knew that going inside the mall to beg for change was too public, _knew_ how she felt about the people there, but she had still gone. Seen all those happy families who refused to see the homeless, all caught up in their warm, comfy lives.

It had been some jewelry, Permafrost had been unable to ignore it, and then that man had said she _did not belong_ and he was _right_ and then _her powers had gotten out of control_ _and_ —

She stumbled as she remembered that woman protecting her daughter. Remembered her own mom, and the **_pain!_**

"Hey, are you alright?"

Whirling around, she saw a man approaching, carrying several large bags of groceries. He had a warm looking purple coat, a lit cigarette in his mouth, and messy blonde hair. "I can get you a hot meal if you want."

 _No one cares about me! So what does he want!?_ Permafrost stepped back. "No! Stay away!"

But the stranger put down his groceries and held up a placating hand as he slowly advanced. "It's alright, I won't hurt you. Just come with me—"

To the terrified and confused girl, he morphed into the figure of the woman from child services who had taken her away after her mom died.

"NOOO!" Permafrost shrieked, and instinctively her powers came wildly to her call. Eyes blazing with a purple light, a blast of wind and cold swept away from her. Except this man was unruffled, appearing only slightly surprised. The only real response he made was covering the top of the bags so nothing flew out. Desperately, she called forth even more of the cold within her, causing a wave ice came out of thin air to cover him.

"No," she gasped, grasping her head in her hands. She had just killed a man. "No, no. Not my fault, no."

Then ice burst apart into water and mist, and the man continued to stand before her, except on fire. "The offer of a hot meal still stands," he gently told her as passionate flames died away, "although I bet you'd prefer someone to talk to first."

Open mouthed in shock, Permafrost could not even move her legs. Then someone else showed up.

"Sanji! There you are! Why'd you—" the newcomer paused as she took in the scene.

 _She's beautiful. Like an angel_ , Permafrost thought.

"Oh," the angel-lady softly said. Carefully she came towards Permafrost, arms also spread to the sides to appear safe and reassuring. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. My name's Nami. Let me guess, you're alone and afraid, and you thought Sanji would hurt you?"

"Not my fault," Permafrost managed.

"No, it's not your fault," the strange lady, Nami, assured her. Then her eyes narrowed. "Are you out here alone because of your parents, or did something happen to them?"

"M . . . Mom, s-she—" the homeless girl got out, tears starting to leak. Then despite the risk, found herself enveloped in a warm hug by Nami.

"There, there. I'm sorry to hear that. My mom . . . she's gone too. And I miss her every day."

"Mine too," the man added sadly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Permafrost's legs gave out as the tears gushed out, and she returned the hug with all her strength.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"No, I said, what's your _name_?" Luffy repeated to the young girl, barely in her teens. Her pale blue skin and white hair had been replaced by normal, pale skin, and very light brown hair.

Angrily, Nami slapped her Captain over the head. "Don't pressure her!" she snapped. "She's still scared and confused." Then she turned to give Permafrost a gentler look. "He's asking you what name you were born with," she softly clarified. "What did your mom call you?"

". . . Maureen Connor," the teenager finally whispered, before ducking her head to spoon up more soup.

"See," Luffy beamed, "that wasn't too hard. Nice to meet you, Maureen!"

Maureen's head shot up to look at him in shock. "Wh, what do you want from me?" she managed.

Cocking his head, Luffy looked at her in equal confusion. "What do you have that we want?"

". . . My powers?" Her voice was so unsure it was clear that she was grasping at straws, disbelieving that even those would make her of value to someone.

"Eh, nah."

Sanji kicked his Captain in the head, and clarified. "We aren't making you stay, Maureen, which is a beautiful name by the way, and neither are we going to make you do anything. If you stop by Chopper though, he's got some pills which'll help you think clearer."

"You can't go without taking some food and warm clothes with you though," Nami decisively added.

"If she's staying," and now Volcana sauntered over, "then I'm taking care of her."

"Uhm, why?" Maureen meekly asked.

With a huff, Volcana sat down beside the young homeless girl. "Because you're an impressionable, troubled, young teenage girl who's hanging out with dangerous men who are very charismatic," –she was ignoring Nami, who was scary in her own right— "and someone's got to watch out for you. Besides, I'm fire," she set her hand aflame as a demonstration, "and you're ice. We'll work well together."

Hesitantly, Maureen smiled.

"Now, after you've eaten, we'll get you washed up," Volcana smiled. "Then more food, and then clothes shopping, and—"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Given herself a final look in the mirror, Robin examined her appearance.

Melding her cloned arms and legs onto her originals, had given her thicker limbs. Arms wrapped around her belly and under her dress made her appear heavyset, while padding in her cheeks added to that appearance. Hair in a blonde wig, green contact lenses, and a drab grey business dress finished the disguise.

Usually she managed this via video conferencing, with her doing so out of a secured site that could be abandoned if anyone traced the calls. Alas, sometimes the personal touch was needed, so tried to do a meeting whenever she had the (scant) time.

A consummate actress, even her walking style changed as she entered the boardroom through the private door.

"Thank you for joining me," the woman the audience only knew as Miss Sunday calmly greeted the assembled men and women. They all only sat after she had done so. "I trust you are all satisfied with this month's profits?"

Murmurs of agreement echoed around the room, and soon they got down to business. Robin led them through a list of other companies that she wanted to acquire or invest in, and her employees threw around some insightful ideas on how to do it.

None of them were wanted criminals, merely entrepreneurs who were willing to handle large sums of money whose origins they did not question. Nor how while some of the transactions that 'Miss Sunday' desired were clearly shrewd moves to generate further capital, others were rather strange or apparently nonsensical. The most glaring examples of this being why so much wealth was poured into owning a growing percentage of the meat industry, or maintaining control of a certain new brand of cola that was becoming increasingly popular.

Some of villains working for them had even taken to asking her to invest their own money into the meat business. Not just for the profits, but also because of nagging concern of whether Luffy would remain a Good Captain if he did not get enough meat, and what kind of Bad Captain he might become if that happened . . .

Robin's giggling when she had heard of that did not reassure them. At all.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Soooo, are we, uhm, turning into superheroes now? Or super anti-heroes?" Cheetah delicately asked as she looked at the motionless form of a bloody man as Sanji and Zoro walked away. The individual in question had the misfortune of trying to hide out in the same warehouse as them, and Cheetah had recognized him from the news. _I mean sure, he's a rapist and killer and no one's complaining, but they just attacked him on sight._

"Heroes have to return all the money they find, and even pay taxes on all their money," Nami answered, as she twirled her staff before pointing the tip at Cheetah. "Are you saying I should give up all those thousands of dollars that I stole?"

"N-No ma'am! Not at all," Cheetah gasped out, hair standing on end in fright. _Of course it's what "we" stole, not that I'm going to call you out on that. And it's easily millions by now, at_ least _. You're just understating it to make sure no one gets greedy._

 **!JUSTICE!**

It was a straightforward heist, stealing some rare alloys that could be sold or used to help make the portal that would take them back home, depending on what Franky's final verdict was.

Or it was supposed to be at least, but they were delayed at the last minute with Sanji noticing a bunch of people throwing half eaten food on the ground. Ten minutes later, after he had forced the wasters to finish chewing down what they had started, Volcana had volunteered to keep Sanji from wandering off by asking questions about his 'heroic strength.' With their friend now distracted with something they had more influence over, Brook and Usopp led the others the rest of the way to their destination, with everyone taking off their disguises or stepping out of the alleyways and shadows.

A little gizmo that Usopp and Franky had put together cut the alarms, and Solomon Grundy tore off of the metal door for deliveries, and they all waltzed right in.

. . . To find the security people were already dead.

"I got a tip on where you were going, so I'd thought I'd beat you here," Killer Frost smirked, corpses of all of the guards piled around her within solid ice. "If you're still recruiting, how's this for an audition?"

"You killed them!?" Usopp gasped.

"Uh, yeah," the amused sociopath confirmed.

"And why did you feel the need to do that," Brook hissed. His eyeless sockets taking in the expressions of terror and helplessness etched onto her victim's faces. One was even only holding a doughnut and newspaper. Defenseless.

Grundy, Cheetah, and the other regular supervillains had thrown the dead men a quick glance, and while they were slightly disturbed by the deaths, it was nothing they were going to take issue with. At the very least, it just meant less trouble to deal with for the robbery, right?

"I absolutely _detest_ ," Brook threatened as he hefted his cane, "those who refuse to treat life with the respect it deserves!"

"Phfft! Don't tell me you guys really believe that!" she sneered. "Especially with you looking like that! What kind of crooks are you, anyways?" Glancing away, she threw the others a knowing look. "I mean seriously—wait." _Where's the skeleton?_

Someone humming a song behind her made her spin around to take in the sight of the vanished figure twirling around a sword cane, delicately stepping around the bodies. _So fast!_ "That supposed to scare me!?" she jeered as she raised her hands to attack. "You didn't even do anything!"

"Didn't I?" and something about his chilling tone made her freeze, and then he sheathed his blade. "Song of Scratches: Blizzard Slash!"

A single long slash erupted up Killer Frost's body, with ice coming out of it. "Wh-what!? N-no! S-so cold!" She hugged herself in a desperate urge to fight off the biting feeling seeping throughout her, a sensation she had not experienced in years. "N-not possible! I _am_ ice!"

Gone now was the jolly musician, and all of the supervillains beheld a terrifying speaker for the dead. His empty sockets now more like holes trying to suck them into the bottomless abyss. "And my soul carries with it the chill of the underworld itself! A power that I wield through my blade! Goodbye and goodnight!"

With a final scream, Frost hunched over before becoming completely encased within a block of ice, unable to move or make a sound.

Unable to look away from the frozen expression of pain and horror, Cheetah could only manage, "D-did you kill her!?"

"No," Brook informed her as he turned away to jauntily waltz through the building to retrieve their prize. "But we'll have to take her with us so she doesn't tell the police about us. The freezer will do for now." At some point they would hand her over to the authorities, just not until the pirates were done keeping their existence a secret. Probably. Maybe.

And all of the other watching and dumbfounded criminals were busy revising their opinions on when it was acceptable to kill, and when it wasn't.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Franky grinned as the mansion burned.

"Maybe that'll get the message through!" he boomed, before taking a big breath to spew out more fire.

This was the holdout of a particularly nasty gangster named Mandragora. The crime boss had discovered that one of his men was making money on the sly by selling information to Karrade, and had killed the mole, his wife and kids, extended family, several friends, and the pets, all as an example. Normally the spymaster would avenge one of his agents himself, except a) that would have alerted others to what kind of power and influence he wielded, and b) had suspicions that Mandragora was a meta-human himself. So he had contacted Robin.

Sure, this might seem like an act of charity, but it was part of their deal with the man, and Mandragora had plenty of cash to steal. Not to mention he was heavily invested in the drug trade, which disgusted all the Straw Hats. The reason Franky was here, instead of continuing to work on a gateway home, was because he had overheard the gory details of the man in question had inflicted on helpless children as a warning, and decided he could do with a little exercise. _There's some things you just don't do_ , he thought resolutely. _The League might not be able to do anything because they need legal permission, except all I need is Luffy's approval and an expense validation from Nami Sis._

Besides, Luffy had _ordered_ him to take a break and work off some stress.

"Bout time you guys let me let loose!" Volcana preened, before letting loose another blast of her own to burn down what was left of the fancy, pricy garden. Half the reason she was even here, as opposed to tutoring Maureen on her math –the government agency that had raised Volcana had provided her with a good, fundamental education at least— was because Franky knew she also needed to vent, so as to not show the young teen her more troubled side.

Looking around, he took further stock of the situation. _Don't see Zoro. So he's probably found Mandragora's –which is a stupid, wordy name— personal booze supply, while grumbling about how his swords are going to go dull at this rate. Either that or he's lost_

 _. . . I've really got to get around to giving him that new eye with the implanted GPS tracker._

 _As for Nami Sis, she's probably finished stripping the mansion bare, and gone off to find Zoro._

Yep, he could hear the sound of her screeching now. Probably saying how she could not spend all day looking for him, because she had to go back to play her 'Dr. Mikan' role.

Still, everything seemed to be going SUPER.

Then Franky's gaze darkened at what he saw.

Moving faster than anyone his bulk and metallic composition should be capable of, he was beside Volcana and snuffing out the fireball in her hands within a single massive metallic one.

The already badly burnt guard on ground continued to spasm, not even aware his life had just been saved.

"He's beaten," the cyborg growled. "You don't need to take it any farther."

Glaring at him in shock, she snarled, "You hypocrite! You were just throwing around lasers and missiles at Mandragora, yelling how he wasn't 'Super' enough to handle you! What about that!?"

Unfazed, the lenses of his sunglasses continued to bore down upon her. "That was in the middle of a fight, and making sure none of them had a chance to hurt the others, including you. This guy's beaten, and a man doesn't let others kill someone when he's down. He's not worth it."

She held his eyes for a few seconds longer, but then lets her arms go limp. "Fine!" she snapped, angrily stalking off.

Giving her a minute, Franky took another critical look at the mansion. It was still burning, yet the firetrucks would probably make it before anyone got killed. Probably.

He glanced over his shoulder. "I've got some pretty keen hearing, so how's about you come out?"

"I wasn't trying to hide," an angry voice bit out.

Out of the shadows came an attractive young woman, well dressed in civilian clothes that accented her perfect curves. Tentatively Franky labeled her as Italian. The crossbow in her hand was a little unusual though.

"I saw the fire and came running," she continued. "And then I overheard you arguing with your partner. So you killed Mandragora?"

"Did you see who my partner was?" Franky asked. The Justice League and authorities did not know about them yet, or that they were recruiting super-villains, and the Straw Hats wanted to keep it that way.

"No," was her impatient answer as she glared at him, waiting for him to answer her own question.

Judging her to be sincere, Franky said, "You wanted to be the one to kill him."

"Yes," she hissed out in frustration. "I just wasn't good enough to do it without getting killed first! A little more time . . ." she cut herself, biting her lip in anger.

"He's still alive."

The strange lady's head snapped up, but Franky held up a warding hand. "What'd he do to you?"  
"Killed my family," was the prompt reply, a dangerous light in her eyes.

Franky stared at her. He had known too many people who let vengeance consume them. At the same time, he knew from personal experience how important that closure could be. When he had gone after Spandam the first time, he had 'died' by being hit by a train. The second time however, with the Straw Hats . . .

"Mandragora is alive and unconscious in that mansion," indicating with a massive thumb over his shoulder. "Stripped of his wealth, and probably his bank accounts too by this point. Personal secrets and whatever blackmail he relied upon leaked. Him, his bodyguards, and enforcers are going to be in the hospital for a while, and then jail with what we left for the cops to find. They're probably too banged up to even remember what happened." Certainly not in the chaos of the lightning blitz of their assault. "He's going down, and if not, his competitors will probably try to kill him while he's vulnerable."

Then Franky walked off. "But I won't stop you."

Just before she could eagerly make her way forward, he added. "He's got a son, y'know. Kept him away from the family business. And that boy's gonna grow up without a father too. Don't be surprised if he comes after you."

He left Helena Bertinelli behind, trusting that she was enough of an adult to make her own decisions.

Around the corner, Volcana was waiting for him, looking more confused than ever. "It's personal for her," is all he said.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Days after Clark Kent and Lois Lane's interview with

'Sanji Kuroashi' and 'Dr. Nami Mikan'

After the fall of Cherry Blossom Medical, the release of the wanted posters for Sanji, Chopper, Nami, and Usopp, the supervillains knew it was time for them to have a talk.

"Uhm, Miss Nico," Cheetah managed, cursing at how insecure she felt. Still, it was still preferable to talk to her over the others; being ruthless enough to cripple her opponents, without being as intimidating as Roronoa could get when he was being serious.

"Go ahead, Cheetah," the dark haired woman offered, never taking her eyes off the thick historical volume she was reading while sipping her coffee. "I suppose you have some questions?"

"It's just that, this whole no-killing bit, you do know someone's going to die at some point, right?"

"Yeah!" Volcana broke in. "Even the goody-goody League fried all of those aliens when they first came together!"

"And we're going to be bumping heads with lots of other crooks at this rate," Clayface chirped in. "People who're ready and even eager to kill!"

Nico Robin's giggles were not what they were expecting. "Sorry," she apologized after a few moments as she regained control, but they could all see her eyes dancing. "I've been where you are, from when I first joined. Before I met the crew, I was an assassin. I killed a lot of people," all of the eavesdroppers seemed to be edging away from her at that, although the spokespeople held their ground. "In fact, I was actively complicit in the attempted murder of a _lot_ more people just before I joined Luffy and the others. _Thousands_."

Which while accurate, was also misleading. The total was actually in the _millions_.

Alas, that might lead them to question more about the Straw Hats and their pasts.

 _It's almost like they don't know whether to be relieved or worried that I'm admitting to being a war crime-level mass murderer_ , Robin though with further amusement.

"But the thing is with the Straw Hats, is that we're strong enough to take people down without killing them. And we're not afraid of them getting back up to try again." Then something harder entered her expression. "And sometimes it's even more satisfying. Leaving them alive with their Dreams shattered beyond recovery."

Signaling the conversation was over, she turned back to her book, leaving the supervillains to reflect upon her words.

"And everyone?" she suddenly spoke up again.

They all paused in their retreat and looked back, and gulped at the intensity within Nico Robin eyes and words.

"My nakama and I have all had our lives marked by death, by those who believe being willing to kill is a form of strength. While we have no interest in furthering it, we _will_ do whatever's necessary to protect you!"

The villains trembled with fear and relief.

Then Volcana managed, imagining their go-happy leader. "Even Luffy? He's lost people too?"

Robin flinched.

For the first time ever they saw her façade crack, and they quailed at the grief and shame within.

"Including Luffy," she simply answered before turning her attention back to her book.

 **!JUSTICE!**

A few weeks later

It was a warehouse in a rundown part of town, yet perfect for them to stay hidden as they slowly recovered.

According to Chopper, it was a rogue Amazon named Aresia who was responsible for the allergen sweeping across America. All of the men in the Straw Hats barring him and Brook were out.

At the time, the supervillains had been separated from their . . . benefactors, with Poison Ivy and Cheetah racing off to join Chopper at one of his labs to help find a cure. Volcana had been left to try and help make Grundy and Clayface comfortable, while reassuring Maureen that they would be alright.

Then a few minutes ago, Poison Ivy and Cheetah had raced back in with what they claimed was a cure.

"Thank goodness," Volcana breathed out in relief as Clayface's form started to come back together, and Grundy started moving again.

"Told you it would work," Cheetah purred, hiding her own happiness behind smugness at how she had contributed.

"I wonder how that allergen could be so selective," Poison Ivy mused aloud, earning a scowl and angry hiss respectfully from the other ladies. "Relax," she lazily reassured them as she waved her hand. "Tempting as it is, if I was going to resort to that level of biological warfare, I'd have done it already. It was only a matter of time before it mutated and did something harmful. Given how it could target aliens like that, it was only a matter of time before it started killing off male animals next." She gave a small smirk, "Besides humans I mean. Plants need them to produce carbon dioxide after all."

Her cool eyes both unnerved her fellow criminals, while reassuring them she had not gone 'soft.'

That was not to say she did not have extensive notes on the subject matter, she had just never made any real progress with it. Besides, Harley was part of the human race, and Ivy had no idea how the virus had distinguished between genders. Ergo, more . . . surgical methods were required.

Most of all, she was not going to trust someone _else's_ work with decimating the human race, especially not someone so reckless.

For now however, Ivy was content with building up her resources working for the Straw Hats.

A groan from Clayface as his face reassembled itself cut off anything else.

 **!JUSTICE!**

A few hours later

They all sat around the warehouse, taking a breath to relax after the harrowing day.

People whose powers and deformities had rendered them outcasts from society. Forcing them to endlessly lower themselves just to survive, or find peace.

Or finding them striking back at the sanctimonious people who had rejected them.

. . . Or, you know, because they really did like being free from social norms and expectations. And really, really wanted that big screen TV or jewelry, and were unwilling to _work_ to earn the money to pay for it.

Right now, the adults had all wordlessly gathered together. They had gently shooed Maureen off to bed, saying she was a growing girl, and needed her rest.

By memory, Cheetah walked over to a certain wall, following the directions that Miss Nico had given. A few moments later she returned to the group of super-villains with several duffle-bags full of cash. "These should tie us over until the Straw Hats renew contact," she flatly said.

There was a moment of silence, then Volcana, asked, "What does it say about us that none of us seem to feel like just walking off with all that cash? And not just because we're afraid they'll track us down?" The other super-villains gave uncomfortable nods.

"We're _trusting_ them to come get us," Clayface hesitantly contributed, voicing thoughts that he had not dared say aloud around the Straw Hats.

"They treat us _nice_ ," rumbled Solomon Grundy, obviously a little confused by it. "Honest nice." The skeleton Brook had been teaching him how to do corpse jokes, which even Grundy was finding hilarious.

The others all smiled at him, only dimly realizing how they were all treating him better too. "Yes indeed," Poison Ivy agreed. "And yeah, Volcana's rights, if they wanted to beat us all at once, they wouldn't even need their big guns to do it. But," holding up a finger at how defensive some of them seemed, "we all know they're our best bet for success. We're making more money working for them than any other score!"

None could disagree.

They all knew that their—allies? Employers? Associates? Friends? –were their best hope for a better, _real_ future.

It was clear that the Straw Hats did not regard them as actual 'crew members,' their innermost circle, yet they had still been inviting and helpful as the supervillains worked to carry out their ends of the bargain and rebuild their lives.

Frankly, it had been _weird_ how uninterested the Straw Hats found their various afflictions, accepting all of the diverse natures of the super-villains without blinking an eye. It was even disturbing how enthusiastic some of them were about it. Yet despite this acceptance and familiarity, some incidents over this had also driven home though, that the Straw Hats were the senior partners in their relationship.

But they did not care.

For the first time in longer than they could remember, they were genuinely _accepted_. They were _happy_. And they would always cherish that.

Oh sure, there were hassles like Miss Nami's temper, or Mr. Sanji's blatant sexism (although the special treats he baked for the ladies were a delight), but nothing they would really complain about.

There was also the issue of Monkey D. Luffy.

They all knew he was powerful, but it was equally clear that he was hiding the greater extent of it. Still, they all strongly suspected that in the supervillain hierarchy he would be a major player if he ever stepped out of the shadows.

No, none of them had any delusions which ones were the biggest, baddest criminals around here.

That said, this enterprise had still been immensely profitable for the super-villains.

"Oh, I just remembered, Clayface," Cheetah spoke up. "Chopper and I made some more progress on both our conditions!"

"Really!?" he said with delight.

"Yeah, we still need to run a triple check, and it'll still take time," emphasizing that she was still verifying her work since there was no need to give a violence prone man any false hope, "but now I've got a clear plan on how we'll both become human again!"

The others started a flurry of encouragement and congratulations, when the doors to the building snapped opened, putting them all on guard until Cheetah caught a familiar scent and raised a calming hand.

"Hey guys," Luffy called out in a cheerful voice, "you all doing okay?"

"Yes, Captain!" they answered without hesitation. Volcana quickly went off to wake up Maureen despite having just sent her to bed, since they were now leaving sooner than expected.

"Great! Then let's get going!"

As one they rose to follow the Straw Hat Pirates into whatever future awaited them all.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Lots of kudos to jmr46718 for all their suggestions and inspiration, really helped me expand the cast! :-D Scene with the League discussing recruits and Sanji directly inspired by iron maker2, check out their original hilarious version in the reviews. My thanks to Zweig for inspiring me regarding Huntress. For everyone else, thank you very much for your suggestions, they gave me tons of ideas. Also, just because a villain you suggested has not been shown here does not mean they will not appear later . . . and not necessarily on the Straw Hat's side ;-P**

 **.**

 **Regarding Grundy going toe to toe with Superman, he has done it in the DCAU. Just remember however that Superman is almost always holding back, and never displayed that true power then. And yes, Batman has electrocuting Batarangs that can take Grundy out of a fight.**

 **.**

 **Talon Karrade was imported from the Star Wars Expanded Universe, but his sole contribution to the plot will be informing the pirates of useful tidbits of information.**

 **.**

 **Permafrost/Maureen's introductions is one of my very rare alterations to the timeline, since in canon the event she is referring to happened around Christmas, and this takes place in the Fall now.**

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 **Next Chapter: 'Halloween'**

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Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	7. Halloween

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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Justice

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Chapter 7: Halloween

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 _Previously:_

 _While working to return home to their own universe, the Straw Hats have found themselves recruiting several powered individuals, the majority of whom are wanted felons._

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The Straw Hats were all assembled.

Ominously, they were all being serious.

Sorry, I meant: _Terrifyingly_ , they were all being serious.

Nations had crumbled over less.

"So what's the situation, Robin?" Captain Monkey D. Luffy asked his archaeologist/spy/retired assassin/spymaster/walking-encyclopedia-of-knowledge. "You said we needed a private meeting."

"Yeah, as in without all the others," Usopp chimed in, referring to the inhabitants of this universe they had either met and befriended, or recruited and then befriended. "What's wrong?"

"Have they figured us out?" Zoro grimly asked, his steely grey eye glinting, while his red cybernetic one ominously readjusted itself. "Do they know where we're from?"

"And we still haven't really come up with a plan for if they do," Sanji calmly said, lighting a cigarette.

The Straw Hats had spent these last few months in this new universe with one guiding principle:

No one was to know where they came from, or have any clue as to how to follow them back.

Undoubtedly if they were free to ask for help from any of the super-geniuses here, magic practitioners (knowing magic was real was Awesome!), or people with special abilities, things would be much easier; it was even possible they could already be back home. Crossing between dimensions could be lots of fun and beneficial for both sides as well, not to mention opening up lots of new adventures.

Sadly, the reverse was true as well. This world was not ready to face the power of the Grand Line. Any pirate who survived halfway through even the Paradise side, would be stronger, faster, and tougher than anything regular civilians here could cope with. It did not bear thinking of what would happen if an Emperor of the New World discovered how to access these new lands to plunder them, or the World Government learning of new lands to 'liberate.'

Even if countries like the United States did not retaliate with nuclear bombs, once their existence and power was learnt of, they and other weapons of mass destruction would be stolen, and the former owners pre-emptively attacked.

On the other side of the coin, if it was the more dangerous lunatics and power hungry would-be conquerors from _this_ world who learnt of the riches and power to be found on the Grand Line, _they_ would be the ones to attack, with all their own strange powers. Or the Justice League, trying to impose 'truth and justice,' and maybe even falling in with the World Government.

Maybe these fears were baseless. Maybe finding a way to travel to other worlds would usher in an era of peace and prosperity for everyone.

Regardless, the Straw Hats were not interested in finding out. They just wanted to go home to achieve their Dreams, and did not want to bring any more complications coming back with them. The competition for the One Piece was already hectic and violent enough as it is.

They had started recruiting supervillains to help navigate through this world's criminal underworld, carry out heists, and acquire necessary technology and scientific knowledge. All a calculated risk to return to the Grand Line. Inevitably, they had also found others joining in the process.

Their one rule applied to their new friends as well however, as it was essential for the Straw Hats to keep the secret of their origins from even their close allies. After all, what they did not know, they could not tell by accident or coercion. At least that is what those who worried about it told themselves to placate any lingering guilt.

Thus far the Straw Hats had been out of luck trying to return. Their dilemma was unique as far as the pirates knew. Even back home, the closest situation they had encountered like this back on the Grand Line was the Rainbow Mist. Unfortunately, Franky had not joined them at that point, and descriptions from the others could only get him so far. Even then, the shipwright theorized that what the crew had discovered was a pocket dimension that was attached to their own reality, as opposed to a totally separate parallel world like the one they had become stuck within.

"No," Robin said, holding up a soft, gentle looking hand that disguised how fearsomely strong it was. "However, I overlooked something, and it nearly gave us all away."

"No sweat," boomed Franky. "You've been carrying the load of twenty people," promised the cyborg, his blue hairstyle being Micky Mouse ears today. "So what do we need to do get around this issue?"

"You clearly have a solution," Jinbe shrewdly rumbled.

"'Course she does," smirked Nami.

With a beautiful smile, Robin started some slides. "It's a holiday that is very popular here in America, and known almost globally. Complete ignorance of it would be a glaring red flag. It's called Halloween, and involves dressing up in costumes to extort people for candy when they can't identify you."

"Go on," grinned Luffy, already giddy with excitement.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"You should go as yourself for Halloween," Nami said to Clayface.  
"Huh?" the shapeshifter said in confusion.

"She's right," Chopper chirped. "You can disguise yourself as anyone, except on Halloween you can go as you are, and people'll think you've just got an awesome costume."

"Huh," Clayface repeated, albeit more thoughtfully.

Overhearing the conversation, Usopp turned to Poison Ivy. "Will you be going Trick or Treating?"

"Pass the fertiliser," she said in response. Once the sniper had done so, and she had taken the time to add a little more water to the various indoor plants they were tending to do, did she deign to address the less important issue. "No I will not. I refuse to support the mad campaign of botanical genocide that grips this country every October!" she hissed with a rare display of anger. "It's bad enough with Christmas Trees without drawing innocent pumpkins into this to be wasted!"

"It does seem wasteful," agreed Robin as she came over, having also briefed everyone on Christmas. "Especially since modern children at Halloween are no longer engage in acts of coercion and vandalism to get their treats. It's rather saddening."

"Rooobin, parents don't _want_ their kids learning that," Usopp groaned.

"Well, I confess I don't really get it," Robin said, as she bent over to water some flowers.

"It really is nice how you are all willing to spruce this place up," Poison Ivy praised. "Although is it really necessary to have a watering can like that?"

Bedecked in tan pans and a bright, pink shirt, Robin looked at her personal watering can, which was a dark grey, while the spout was shaped like a moaning zombie, the water coming out the 'mouth.' "Why, what's wrong with it?" she asked with sincere curiosity.

Recognizing a lost cause, Ivy waved her hand in cool dismissal. "Never mind. Let's just work on the rest of our babies."

No need to antagonise the closest people she had to allies here, even if she was affronted by how readily Usopp used his plants as _weapons_. Not partners whose own lives you had to protect in turn.

Oh well, at least he was committed to growing more, and even introducing some fascinating new breeds that she had never seen before. That made him tolerable.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Elsewhere in the base, Brook was mentoring his protégé in a priceless art form. "Or you could say: You talk so much, you'd wake the dead. Oh wait, that's why I'm awake! Yo ho ho ho!"

Frowning in concentration, Solomon Grundy puzzled over that for a long moment, before the zombie clutched his belly as he broke out laughing too. "Because I'm dead! Ha ha ha! Good one! Ha ha!"

"Why thank you," Brook said with a modest bow. "And no doubt with a little more practice, you'll be saying those on the fly yourself!"

Grinning, Grundy opened up a joke book for further inspiration. In turn, Brook picked up the latest copy of a music magazine, reading about how his fans continued to praise his talent, despite the revelation that the Soul King was a criminal.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Hey, Mosshead!" snapped Sanji as he walked over to Zoro. They were in a large basement under the warehouse, reinforced by Franky for the crew's training sessions. Sanji was toweling off his sweat after a long hard work-out, doing ten thousand kicks in ten minutes with heavy weights on. Then the other foot.

Pausing to take a drink of water laced with electrolytes, the chef took another look at his personal headache, realizing the man was meditating, not sleeping as Sanji had originally assumed.

 _Nuts to this, I need to spar against a real opponent._

Lashing out with a devastating kick, Sanji took satisfaction in how the swordsman barely managed to raise his sword to block it in time. "You're getting slow!" Sanji gloated.

"Pfft. Why bother putting any effort into it," Zoro angrily snapped back. Then Sanji registered the subtle tones in his crewmate's voice, and withdrew his leg.

"Hey, what's up?"

Groaning, Zoro massaged his forehead. "I've got a problem I'm trying to work out."

"Did you get further into debt with Nami-Sis?" Franky teased, as he ambled over, rotating his arms.

"No," grunted Zoro. "Although the witch's already calling in debt to the people we've picked up, saying they owe her money for what they borrowed, and they're so shaken by it they don't remember she never actually loaned them any."

"Hah!" barked Franky in good humour. "That's Nami for you! Now, anything we can help you with, or can Sanji and I spar?"

"Sounds more productive than hearing this idiot moan and whine," griped Sanji, angry at hearing an angel like Nami being slandered.

With a sigh, Zoro explained. "I was watching a movie with Luffy last night, and they had a really cool fighting style I'd like to incorporate into my swordsmanship."

"Huh," Sanji said, taking another small sip of water before his fight with Franky. "Alright, that sounds interesting enough. What is it, and what's the problem?"

For the first time Zoro raised his head to look at both his friends, his face clearly showing his inner conflict. "It's called Drunken Kung Fu, where you drink a lot of sake, and fight with unpredictable movements while drunk, or at least act like it. It's perfect! Except, except," and now Zoro looked truly torn, "a true swordsman never lets alcohol take control of himself, so how do I learn!?"

"Idiot," scoffed Sanji, before sauntering off. If Franky was going to be shooting missiles at him, then they would want some open space.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sipping his tea, Jinbe entered the dining area to find Maureen hunched over some paper, working on math problems. The ice user was making excellent progress, emboldened by everyone's support, especially Volcana. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Pretty good, Jinbe," she answered, albeit a little nervously. She was still a little unused to her new life. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, pretty good, thank you. I just wish I could join you for Halloween."

"But you've got to come!" gasped Maureen. Living on the streets for all those years, Halloween had been one of her few bright spots, as she was able to get some candy then. Even if it had hurt so see all those children with their loving parents. _Now_ however she had friends. Almost a family. "You've got to come with us!"

"I wish I could," Jinbe assured her. "Alas, my size is too distinctive, and we have to take care of some other business."

"Don't worry Maureen," Volcana assured him as she came into the room, still wearing her tight tank-top and form fitting red pants. "There's always be another chance. Now, get cracking," she sternly told the younger girl, while pointing at the homework. "I'm not Luffy. No Halloween if you haven't finished that!"

"Nooo!" cried Maureen as she promptly got back to work.

 **!JUSTICE!**

The only thing that nearly rivaled the dangers of a serious Luffy, was a _bored_ Luffy.

In fact, said nations that had eventually crumbled from a _serious_ Luffy, usually were the by-products of scenarios where the legendary young man had been insufficiently preoccupied.

For the Straw Hat Pirates, managing this was not really regarded as a chore for them –despite how some of them may claim otherwise. That said, they did have their own hobbies and responsibilities they needed to address. Thus the crew were quite happy to hand him over to be babysat by their new recruits. Plus, it was always fun to watch others struggle with their Captain. Besides, if that backfired, they got to enjoy whatever new adventure Luffy sucked them all into.

Cheetah was the sacrificial goat of the day.

(Of course, they never referred to her as that. Usopp had simply and 'innocently' asked her if she would join Luffy for a movie so Usopp would be free to tend to his plants, and Cheetah, naïve, naïve Cheetah, had agreed.)

"That was a boring movie," moaned Luffy. "I thought you said it was good!"

"It is!" cried a shocked Cheetah. "'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is a classic for a reason."

Rolling his eyes, and blowing a raspberry, Luffy shook his head dismissively. "Most of their fight scenes weren't all that impressive, and some were even silly. My crew could do much better even when we first got together!" Then he cocked his head in thought. "Although learning how to jump like that could be cool."

Flexing her fingers in frustration, Cheetah struggled to find an answer. Truthfully, she knew next to nothing about her bosses' past, and they had made it discretely clear they wanted to keep it that way. Except for Luffy, who just sucked in his lips and looked the other way while humming.

Of course Cheetah respected their need for secrecy, and felt no compulsion to endanger her comfy new position (or skin) by digging for details. She was not _that_ curious a cat.

So Cheetah did her best to not pay attention to all the strange jobs she was doing on behalf of Franky.

As for Luffy's opinion on the fight scenes, from what she had seen of his 'sparring' matches with the other Straw Hats, anything short of an all-out brawl with Superman would seem tame.

Grasping for straws regarding the movie, she asked, "What about the romance then?"

He looked at her blankly. "There was romance?"

"Yes. Yes there was," she deadpanned back. "How could you not notice?"

"Oh," Luffy stroked his chin. "I thought romance just involved people going up to each other and asking to marry."

"Where did you get that idea?" she incredulously asked.

Sucking in his lips again, Luffy looked away. "I'm not supposed to say. That's just what I learnt from this lady who said she loves me and wants to marry me."

Initially Cheetah had found herself rather attracted to Luffy; he was kind, powerful, charismatic, and did not give a wit that she was a cat-woman. However over a month in his presence and all of his quirks, especially the way he ate his food (if it could even be called that) had cooled any passion, even as she came to deeply respect him as a friend—something she suspected the other ladies had not achieved.

Regardless, the point was while once Cheetah would have felt a stab of jealousy at this news, now she felt a shiver of dread. _What kind of woman would want to marry him!? Even Nami and Robin just seem like friends to him. Very, very close friends. I think_ . . .

Just trying to imagine the type of person Luffy would accept as his bride –because he was being too vague to tell if he was interested in turn— made Cheetah's hair stand on end, and feel as if two or three of her nine lives were trying to run away.

With an act of will Cheetah shook her head and changed the subject.

 **!JUSTICE!**

October 31

"Alright!" Luffy cried out. "Is everyone ready for some extortion?"

"I told you," growled Cheetah. "That isn't what Halloween's about. Certainly not these days. Where you're going, it's more about having a big party."

"Is that really what you think it's about?" Volcana asked as she gave Robin a light glare. "Usually you do better research."

"People going around saying 'Trick or Treat,' and setting off low-grade explosives," Robin smiled as she adjusted her costume. "Sounds accurate to me," she answered with a serene smile.

"You know," Cheetah deadpanned. "I can't tell if you've just got a very morbid perspective of it, or if you're just messing with us. Stop it."

"Good luck with that," muttered Usopp.

"Waaaait," Luffy said with concern as he focused on Cheetah. "What do you mean by where we're going? You mean you guys too, right?"

"No," Poison Ivy flatly answered, walking by the doorway.

"Not my kind of party," Volcana stated.

"Not with this fur," Cheetah chipped, holding up an arm. "I'm too distinctive, and a costume's too stuffy for me."

With a cough, Franky stepped forward. "I'm SUPER sorry, but I'll have to pass, Luffy. I'm too big and bulky, even with a costume."

"And don't forget, _we_ ," Zoro jerked his thumb at Jinbe, Brook, and Grundy, "have another job to do."

"And we're late as it is," Jinbe threw in.

"Right," the swordsman nodded. "Let's go. I'll drive."

"Uhm," Brook diffidently spoke up. "May I drive this time?" While Zoro was without equal at evasive driving, even with his GPS implant they were on a deadline, and wanted to reach their destination tonight, not next week.

(Given how their crew members ranged from just under 3ft tall to just under 10ft, Franky had been forced to devise some pretty innovative seats so that everyone could sit comfortably, and –with the blatant exception of Luffy— drive their truck)

"Tch. Fine."

Grundy looked sad that he was too big to come with Luffy and the others, so Chopper promised to bring him back some candy.

"Okay then, I guess it makes sense for you guys," Luffy conceded, before turning a blank look onto the lady super-villains. "But your reasons are dumb."

"No way," Volcana dismissively told him. "We're not coming."

 **!JUSTICE!**

 ****"Not one word," snarled Volcana.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Usopp promised with dead seriousness. "One day we've got to tell you how Luffy made the rest of us join him."

"Did extortion factor in?"

"Extensively."

"Oh don't be like that," Luffy beamed. "You guys look awesome!"

"I don't even want to know how the chef had these for all of us," Cheetah said as she tugged at her outfit. "Or how he had them all already fitted to our sizes so perfectly."

"We should just kill the pig," Poison Ivy coldly declared.

All three of the super-villainesses, and Maureen, were in classic princess costumes.

Poison Ivy's was a billowing green dress of various shades, reaching down to her ankles. Her arms were bare, yet the light greenish tint of her skin blended in beautifully, and a party mask of white over her face disguised her identity. Her curly hair styled into a half up, half down bun.

Volcana's red dress was fiery as it also merged shades of her favourite colour, yet with subtle hints of yellow to make it look like living fire. Her mask was also red, while her hair came down free as usual, as it was already styled to look like flames.

Cheetah found hers a little confusing. For years she had lived wearing solely her fur, except this dress was light and airy enough to still be comfortable. It was of light tan and only reached to her knees, while leopard patterns on the side blended will with her 'bare' arms. Her mask was a dark brown, with a wig of black hair on top to make her look like a woman dressed as an animalistic jungle princess.

All three wore tiaras.

Like the others, Maureen's costume was a reference to her powers; ice in her case. It was a simmering light blue, with her light brown hair in a braid that went over the front of her chest. The teenage girl was ecstatic, and was spinning around in circles as much as she could while surrounded by the crowds, another sparkling tiara atop her brow.

The Straw Hats were in New Orleans for the yearly Halloween party on Bourbon Street.

"Yeah, probably best we don't think about it," agreed Nami. "At least he made it so we can hide a lot of gear underneath, and easily tear it if we need to move fast." Truthfully, she _loved_ her outfit. Based directly off Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast,' covering the navigator in simmering gold of the highest material. She also had the same hairstyle. (Although personally Nami felt the protagonist should have hit Beast over the head with a chair from the beginning, and seize control of his palace and wealth, instead of all that wishy-washy marrying your captor).

Sure, these costumes dented their budget a bit, yet Nami knew the value of letting everyone vent some stress. Besides, Zoro and Co. were busy acquiring more capital, which along with what the pirates already had saved away (along with ongoing investments) would hopefully be enough for them to go completely into hiding long enough to throw the heroes off their trail.

Nami also vowed to herself that once Luffy had become Pirate King, she _would_ find a way to make a practical dress out of real gold. No matter how many people she had to threaten or hurt.

"You look ravishing," gushed Sanji to the adult women, red faced and panting. Pointedly, he was dressed in the same royal suit as Disney's Beast when he had returned to being a human prince, including a brown ponytail wig.

"If you kill him," Usopp deadpanned, "at least don't disturb us. Besides," and now he started to preen, "he did help me get this awesome get-up together!" The sniper was wearing a full fitting ninja costume, complete with black pants, jump suit, and mask. Only his nose poked through.

"Does that mean I can switch costumes?" grumbled Chopper.

"Oh come on," Usopp said, trying to hide his giggles. "You look terrific!"

Chopper head-butted his friend. "I'm never letting you choose my costume ever again!"

To his ire, their doctor had discovered all too late that his friends had somehow found a suit that made him look like a racoon dog; the _exact_ animal he was often mistaken for. "I'll get you for this!"

"Don't worry, Chopper," Robin reassured him. "You look fine, and no one will figure out who you are."

Of all of them, Robin had embraced Halloween so thoroughly that the others wondered if she would regularly dress like this in the future.

Nico Robin had discovered Goth.

Every scrap of skin barring a window over the top of her cleavage, was covered from her neck down (which also had a choker) to her hands, with a long billowing dress. It was pitch black except where a lighter shade of dark showed intricate pictures that could either be of flowers or human sacrifice depending on the angle you looked at it. Robin's long hair had been dyed so instead of shining, it now seemed like a shadow to suck in the light as it hung over her shoulders. Her face and hands had makeup that turned her skin paper-white, with thick black lipstick on her lips, and thick mascara around her eyes that came down like black tears.

Her smiles were terrifying.

"You guys all look awesome!" declared Luffy, wearing a full-body Flash costume, with his straw hat hanging from his neck.

"Why are you dressed as Flash again?" asked Maureen. "I thought you—" Clayface quickly put a hand over Maureen's mouth to keep her from blurting anything out. He appeared as he always did, albeit slimmer and smaller so that he appeared more human. Like this, on this night in New Orleans, instead of running in fear and horror, people complimented him on his 'realistic' costume.

"We were surprised to see you dressed as a hero," Clayface diplomatically said.

"Oh," said Luffy in surprise. "I like heroes. I just don't want to be one. Now, let's go get that candy!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"At least the climate is nice," huffed Poison Ivy. She loved how New Orleans had so much green, a place where the plants of the world still held strong. Of course, the persistent efforts by the meatbags to destroy the—

"Who cares where we are!" burst in Luffy. "It's a party!" He was grinning like a loon as he took in the sights.

For at this time of year in New Orleans on Bourbon Street, it was the greatest Halloween celebration on Earth.

The lights were bright at night, music sang out, and the pavement was packed with people having a good time. Costumes were everywhere, and what the Straw Hats were wearing were actually tame in comparison to some of the others.

Volcana was finding herself having a conversation with people in Stormtrooper armour, while Clayface was chatting with people 'also' dressed up as various swamp creatures. The experienced actor was improvising, as he described how he had 'made' his outfit.

Zombies and vampires of every description. Pirates and knights. Heroes and villains. Men and women dressed as fruits and vegetables. People dressed as the Ghostbusters chased those dressed as ghosts. Pirates with peg-legs and eye-patches laughed and sang alongside their friends, dressed as noble knights.

Clowns good and evil skipped around, while Hula dancers wiggled their hips. Luke Skywalker dueled his father more than once for everyone to see, while Vulcan men and women enjoyed telling people how illogical Halloween was. Winston Churchill was having fun as he engaged in comical discussions about European politics with Napoleon Bonaparte, even as Julius Caesar laughed at their display.

Here, every spec of human imagination was on display.

Robin was enthusiastically talking to some locals about the local tradition of painting your face white and then applying black face paint decorations that were so popular. A helpful lady was even helping apply it to her, blending in with her Goth dress beautifully, while telling her all about the Day of the Dead.

Luffy was having a mock fight with someone dressed as Darkseid, the latter of whom drew a few glares, yet most people accepted it for today alone. Especially since 'Flash' was winning. In the background there were even more people dressed as the Justice League.

Nami was teasing one muscular young man dressed in only a speedo, stringing him along before leaving him flatfooted. Then she went to flirt with 'Superman.'

Having 'won' his fight, Luffy rejoined the others as they approached some food vendors. The pseudo Flash then disappeared in a –ugh, it is painful to even say this— flash, to reappear with ice cream cones for both Chopper and Cheetah. "Here," Luffy beamed. "You guys can cool down with this!"

"Thanks!" chirped Chopper, taking the treat. "I still hate you guys for this costume though."  
"Oh, don't be like that!" laughed Luffy.

"Thank you," Cheetah said more calmly, touched that he had noticed how the heat affected her, wearing all this fur.

"Don't sweat it. We know how much it bugs Chopper, so you're likely the same."

Not trusting herself to speak, Cheetah just gave a nod as she continued to lick her ice cream beneath her mask. It really was weird with the Straw Hats, although given how they had accepted Chopper, it made sense they would accept another half-human.

. . . Scratch that, given the composition of half the crew, it would be surprising if they did not. Cheetah sometimes doubted Luffy was human himself for that matter.

Still, it was a nice thought from a . . . friend. Yes, a friend. And she smiled as she ate.

"Hmm, this is nice," Poison Ivy said after buying some fried vegetables in a tantalising sauce. What? She was a vegetarian, and it was part of the circle of life. The plants nourished her, and she repaid it by watering them, caring for them, protecting them from the meatbags who failed to treasure what plant life did for the world, and returning the fertilizer to nourish them in turn.

"It really is a pleasure to have a lady of your tastes around, y'know," Sanji said.

Noting his tone was actually serious, Ivy decided to humour him. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I have all of these vegetarian recipes, but I haven't cooked any for ages. Captain and the crew love their meat after all."

Chuckling, she gave him a dainty pat on the cheek with a smile. "I'm glad I make you so happy." Then she sauntered off, feeling his eyes follow her. _For all that he's polite, he's still a pervert._

"Tasty!" Nami said as she tried some beignets, enjoying the fried bread. She was gobbling it down, confident her exercise routine would burn it right off. What? The Straw Hats had a chef who delighted in pandering the women with delicious treats, and her waistline remained as thin as the stem of an hourglass.

"Yum!" went Maureen, unable to believe she was having such a wonderful time. Right after the ice cream for the others, Luffy had brought her some praline, which was a semi-caramelized piece of brown sugar with pecans in it. She had been distressed at first to discover she had forgotten to bring any money, yet the cheerful young man had bought it for her with his own allowance Nami carefully doled out.

"Thank you!" she gushed, throwing him a hug.

He only gave her a quick smile and pat on the back, before reaching for more of his own to eat.

Sanji was being rather popular, as he was equally generous and sincere with his praises to witches who were young and beautiful, as he was with those who were going as old crones.

Usopp found himself having a serious conversation with 'astronauts' about space travel, even as a whole line of Elvis Pressley's danced their way down the street.

More and more people went by as the Straw Hats talked and had fun, with Luffy unconsciously gathering to himself a growing crowd of laughing people. A guy with yellow body-paint was a drunk Homer Simpson, realistic apes and wolfmen (including one in a classic granny's outfit), Dorothy and all her companions looking for the Wizard of Oz, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, with more and more joining in on the wild, wild fun.

 **!JUSTICE!**

It took a few seconds for Chopper to realize something was off.

"Sanji," he asked as they slipped down a side street to where it was marginally quieter, "why're we going away from the others?"

"Because," the chef answered, taking a drag on his cigarette, "you look like you could use a man-to-man talk. Zoro wanted to do it to, except he had to take care of that job, and best to get it done sooner than later. Seemed like as good as time as any."

Instead of being curious, Chopper's first response was to blush. "Don't think I'm happy to hear you acknowledge I'm a man now! Jerk!"

However Sanji did not respond for a long minute, continuing to walk. "Chopper, what's bugging you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't try and fake it. Nami and Robin see it too, and the only reason Luffy's not hugging you and refusing to let go until you answer, is because I volunteered to talk first. So, what's got you down?"

Now Chopper's shoulders slumped. "It's, I just, y'know, this world. It makes me feel weird inside." He looked up at Sanji, his eyes shining through his mask. "Here, there are heroes! Ones who fly around and fight monsters and aliens! Just like in the comics back home!"

(No, there had not been any comic books living with Doctors Hiluluk or Kureha, although that was only because they were so focused on feeding Chopper's voracious appetite for medical knowledge. Usopp had been happy to provide them for Chopper to read once on the _Going Merry_ ).

Nodding, Sanji prompted, " _But_ . . ."

This time Chopper's sigh was longer and full of greater regret. "But it's not as simple as it is in the comics. Not when so few have stuff like super-strength, laser beams, and flight, and so many people don't. Even if all the powers the heroes have doesn't eventually corrupt them and make them like the marines, they're still confident that they're _right_. And that's _dangerous!_ Too many people will get hurt . . ." and the doctor trailed off in thought for a few heartbeats.

"And yeah, they're needed to fight the supervillains." Chopper then waved a dismissive hoof (hidden in a glove), sounding angrier. "Plus, there's the fact that we're criminals here, so they're after us too. We're here with all this cool stuff and we can't enjoy it because—"

He cut himself off, eyes hardening as the little doctor further worked out his own thoughts and feelings. Sanji gave an approving nod; while Chopper was still pretty naïve and even gullible, he was still exceptionally brilliant, and not just for medicine.

"I'm feeling guilty," Chopper breathed out, "because we all so desperately want to get home, yet there's also so much I want to do here. Except the longer we stay here, who knows what's happening back in the New World? With our friends there? Our dreams? So I feel like I'm not _supposed_ to enjoy it."

"And that's making you anxious and stressed out," Sanji concluded, giving his nakama a kindly pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, we all feel the same way to different degrees. Yeah, this place has some pretty cool stuff, and not just the heroes. Unfortunately, at the same time we're all borderline desperate to get back. The only reason we haven't gotten to the point of just openly seizing whatever we want, is because Luffy knows too many innocent people'd be hurt if we did. Plus, all the fun stuff here would be destroyed. Like super ladies in tight outfits!" he gushed.

An exasperated Chopper rubbed his face.

Sanji continued after only thirty seconds of drooling. "We're playing it patient because it beats fighting the whole world at once, so we don't hurt people, and because there is some awesome stuff here that'd get wrecked. People too, new friends we've made even. And on that note, we'll have to make a decision eventually on whether or not to take them with us.

"For now though, we're just trying to enjoy ourselves without getting all pent up, and—"

He broke off as his nose twitched. Chopper's did the same at the same time, and both heads instantly swiveled to a young boy (up past his bedtime) about to bite into a caramel apple.

Said apple appeared in Sanji's hand an instant later, glaring at it with hate. "Kid," he growled, not taking his eyes off the treat. "Where'd you get this?"

The lad –who was _maybe_ ten years old, and probably snuck out without his parents knowing given how he had only a plain mask on as a costume— puffed himself up indignantly. "Hey! Give that back! I—"

"It's _poisoned!_ " snapped Sanji. "Chopper and I can smell it!"

Gasping, the kid's eyes darted to the side, and Sanji stalked off towards the stall across the street, other kids already backing away as they heard that fateful word.

"Well now, why'd you ruin the fun," grouched an unfamiliar voice, and out of the stall stepped a man in a purple suit, white face, green tinted hair, and the widest, most insane and sadistic smile the Straw Hats had seen since Doflamingo.

"Joker," Sanji said with a blank face. Calm, expressionless, as if he had no emotional stake in the situation.

"In the flesh," preened the Joker. "It looks like great minds think alike, _Straw Hats_ ," stressing the words to show how he saw right through their disguises. "Come on down here for Halloween, and people think you're just wearing a costume. Aha ha ha ha!" he cackled. "Isn't it hilarious!? I've even got a few decoys back in Gotham to keep ol' Bats sniffing around for me." Now he seemed to sulk and scowl at once. "And then you goody-two shoes had to ruin the fun. Again. Bad enough what you're doing to Gotham."

"I dunno, Mistah J," a chirpy lady's voice broke in, as Harley Quinn skipped forward in her characteristic red and black suit. "I mean, maybe instead of poisonin' kids," she nervously offered, "we should do something, like, rob a bank?" Then she perked up. "Yeah, instead of kids, we can kill some security guards!" She whirled to look at some of the terrified boys and girls –who while wetting themselves, were also gaining a valuable life lesson on listening to their parents, ignoring peer pressure, and not going out on your own at night— and gave them a grin and two thumbs up. "Don't that sound neat?!"

"No one asked you, Harley," snapped Joker, already in a bad mood, as he automatically swung his hand to give her a light backhand.

It stopped a centimeter from her face.

Incredibly flexible, Sanji was standing between the Joker and his girlfriend, foot raised to block the arm swinging towards a woman's face. His eyes shadowed by his wig, although his lower features still spoke of detachment. Then he took an even longer drag of his cigarette, took it out to release some smoke . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

The Straw Hats and their allies whipped around to see a pillar of fire lighting up the night sky.

"Oh c'mon," moaned Usopp. "Sanji, you had _one_ job!"

"Idiot," muttered Poison Ivy.

"That's . . . Sanji?" gasped Maureen as for the first time she truly got a hint of what he was capable of.

Volcana was just gaping at the pyrotechnic display.

Luffy put down the chopsticks he was about to stick up his nose as the party got into full swing. "He can handle it. But we'd better grab all the candy while we can."

 **!JUSTICE!**

In Gotham City, Batman prowled the streets.

It was had been a long night so far, and promised to only get worse. The last couple of Halloweens things had been relatively quiet for Gotham. He and Commissioner Gordon had made careful preparations because they knew how many of the lunatic members of the city's criminal fraternity were known to enjoy acting out on Halloween. This had made them predictable enough for Batman to pre-emptively deal with them. For example, even this year Scarecrow had been found last week by tracking shipments of chemicals to make fear toxin. He had escaped in the end, yet his plans were ruined, and he would not be able to put anything big together for tonight.

Meanwhile, the _sane_ criminals had spent the last two years laying low on October 31st, so they didn't get caught in the crossfire. The few years before then, some of them thought the battles of the cops and the Dark Knight versus his Rogue Gallery meant they would get overlooked as they stole and killed, only to discover the Arkham Asylum inmates were happy use them as a diversion to escape said fists of Justice. Or kill them for the fun of it.

Unfortunately this encouraging trend had been broken this year, as it seemed like thugs were pouring into Gotham, and Batman was recognizing some of the super-powered variety mixed in as well. So far it was nothing too serious, however it remained a serious concern, due to how it appeared the trend was actually growing.

And there was still the Joker.

Whatever the Joker had planned, it was big, given the scale of the diversions he had left behind to keep his nemesis running around town. Impersonators of himself scattered around with all manner of 'pranks,' ranging from killer robots loaded with Joker Venom gas, to bombs that could have levelled whole city blocks (including the ignorant actors). All to keep Batman from discovering his true objective.

Or the Joker had left said decoys scattered about, and called it a night, thinking it would be funnier to leave Batman worried about whatever the Clown Prince of Crime was plotting.

" _Batman_ ," Hawkgirl's voice suddenly came over the radio. " _We're coming with a Javelin to Gotham to pick you up._ "

"I'm busy, and don't need any help," growled Batman. While heroes like Superman could definitely make a massive dent in crime here, it would be temporary until the major leave crooks adapted and escalated. After all, most of the worst were all super-geniuses in their own ways, and the results would cost even more lives as the violence spilled over. To work in Gotham would require careful planning and long-time commitment. Which was unacceptable given the crimes that would be happening while they were occupied. Who knew when the next giant robot or alien would start terrorizing Metropolis next? At least that was what the Dark Knight told himself.

Superman answered back. " _It's the Joker. He's in custody in a New Orleans hospital._ " Then Batman heard a little smirk in his frien— _teammate's_ voice. " _Which means he's outside of your jurisdiction_."

Before Batman could make a comeback, the Man of Steel grimly continued. " _And according to eyewitnesses, the Straw Hats were involved too._ "

"I'll be waiting," was all Batman said.

 **!JUSTICE!**

The Justice League reached New Orleans in record time, and went straight to the specified hospital. Only Superman, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl were in attendance with the Dark Knight, as the rest were occupied.

An entire floor of the hospital had been cleared away, and the police guarding the room were in full riot gear. The police chief had made it clear that while he did not want any 'accidents' to befall the Joker, he was equally unambiguous that he cared more about the lives of his men than a mass-murdering nutcase. Thankfully for the nerves of everyone, the League promptly arrived, and the Joker was too injured to be a threat.

The League was given a preliminary briefing as they marched through the halls to his room.

"I can't go in," Batman whispered as he stood a few meters away from the closed door.

"Why not?" Wonder Woman asked, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder as she saw the tension in his body. He turned to face her in a motion that also dislodged her hand, and bore a terrible smirk. "Because I might not stop gloating," he confessed.

Steeling himself, Superman walked in. No less than four armed police officers were in the room, all with their weapons nervously aimed with the safeties off at the man lying in the hospital bed. Covered in casts and bandages for a broken body, and tied down with numerous security straps, it was almost comical.

Until you saw the utter malice in the Joker's eyes, all but choking the room with it.

The need to kill everyone in the room, just because they were there. To kill everyone who had seen him like this. Who might in the future see him like this.

Not daring to say anything and provoke the man, Superman focused his X-Ray vision on the madman's face for verification, and then left.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"There's no doubt about it," Superman said as he walked back into the hallway. "Somehow the Joker's entire face has been restructured. He _can't_ smile. Or laugh. Ever. The bones and muscles have all been somehow rearranged so he can only frown."

Perversely, Batman's smile died as that tidbit was confirmed. "Not good. He'll want vengeance for that." He held up a folder that the police had handed them during the trip to ensure the Joker was secured, and to escort him safely back to Arkham Asylum in Gotham. While having a bad reputation for holding the Joker, the truth was that between Batman and the staff there, the majority of the lunatic's escape attempts ended in failure. New Orleans lacked those resources.

"According to the eye witness reports, I'd say it was Black Leg Sanji who did this for sure, somehow using kicks to do it, and possibly Dr. Chopper. The last part is trickier since it was mostly children nearby. The rest of the Straw Hats were also enjoying the celebration up to the point where Blackleg caught fire. Then they stole all the candy in sight and ran off."

"I wish you were joking," deadpanned Hawkgirl.

"Do the witnesses know what the Joker planned here?" asked Superman.

"Selling poisoned apples," glowered Wonder Woman.

Batman dryly noted, "Playing the evil queen, how fitting." Then he became serious again. "What's worrying is how many people were described being with the Straw Hats. While we can't tell if it's all of them, and no one's exactly sure who was with them or not, there's definitely at least ten of them in this gang."

In a blur Superman suddenly shot back into the room. All the officers were down and bleeding, while the bed was empty and the window on the fourth floor of the building was wide open.

Quickly prioritizing, Superman grabbed the man with the bleeding jugular –as he grimly knew the Joker had expected him too— before racing away as fast as a speeding bullet to perform surgery to save his life.

The rest of the League were right behind as they performed emergency first aid.

"How'd he do this? And so fast?" wondered a shocked Hawkgirl.

Saying nothing, Batman berated himself for letting himself get sloppy and underestimating the Joker. Even with broken limbs.

The Justice League scoured the city, with full support of law enforcement, but were too late. It was Batman who found the pre-prepared escape route the Joker had hidden away for a fast exit from New Orleans.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 _I'm going to kill the Joker_ , Poison Ivy, swore as she tracked down the source of the whimpering in her private greenhouse/home.

Deep down she knew it was an empty threat, given how the man was literally, insanely dangerous. 'Crazy' did not mean 'stupid' either, and doubtlessly he had horrific plans to kill off the rest of Gotham's criminal elite. Even if just for laughs.

The prodigy Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel had worked at Arkham Asylum to try and cure the Joker, and instead he had dragged her into his mad world until she had emerged remade as Harley Quinn. For all that Poison Ivy loved how this made it possible for her to meet the woman who would become her best friend, Harley had tied herself to a psychotic who was just as likely to beat her as he was to tenderly kiss her. _I wonder what kind of bruises she's trying to hide with her make-up this time?_

After the Joker's failed attempt to kill Ivy after she and Harley had first met, she and the Joker had the equivalent of an unspoken nonaggression pact between them, and worked to keep off each other's toes. Harley now seemed to bounce back and forth between the two, unable to resist the Joker's toxic charisma.

Finally, Poison Ivy's path through her greenhouse led her to Harley and her pet hyenas trying to hide within a shadowy corner. Before Ivy could say anything, she found herself tackled by a sobbing Harley. "Oh Red! Ya've got to let me stay! It's my Puddin'! He's lost his sense of humour! I don't even know what he'll do now!"

"Easy, Harle," she soothingly told her. "Just tell me what's wrong!"

"He can't smile anymore! This blonde jerk with a cigarette disfigured 'is face!"

Ivy's veins froze. After the Halloween party had broken up, she had felt the need for space, and had asked to go back to Gotham for a few days. Just long enough to check on her babies and their security. Usopp had kindly flown her there, while they had a few friendly chats about crossbreeding various lethal plants.

"Harley, did he by chance have swirly eyebrows, with one eye hidden behind his bangs? And did he maybe do this only after the Joker said or did something to you that he shouldn't have."

"He really does love me," Harley sullenly and reflexively muttered.

"That wasn't my question," Ivy gently chided her, knowing full well that even if Harley believed what she was saying, right now she was aware that the Joker was too dangerous to be around. Now that he could not laugh. She repeated her earlier comment.

Blinking, Harley thought about it, and then gaped at Ivy in shock. "Wait! That's right! That's exactly how he looked! How'd yah know!?"

"Because," Ivy scowled, "he's one of my new," she hesitated over which word to use, "allies."

"Yah mean those guys yah said want yah to pay off for something' that they broke, except yah only go along with it because they've got such cool stuff and food?"

"I still get money too," Ivy shrugged in a what-can-you-figure expression, "and they're okay guys. Some of them really respects plants too. Plus," she admitted, "it's a good idea to keep an eye on people that dangerous." She stopped in thought, giving Harley a determined look. "And now they can make up for the mess you've caused."

Grabbing her friend, she started to drag her to the door.

"Where we goin'?"

"To the only people besides Batman who might be able to protect you! If we hurry, Usopp won't have flown too far yet."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Morning of November 1st

"But it's your people's fault that she's in this situation!" hissed Poison Ivy. "And she can't stay in Gotham on her own now, you know what it's getting like there!"

"If she's not willing to deal with the Joker herself, when he's really is that mean to her, then I don't like her. She's too weak," Luffy bluntly said, reaching for another piece of cooked meat on his plate.

Furiously, Ivy restrained herself from attacking him, knowing full well it would accomplish nothing, as she was helpless against his overwhelming might. Worse, she even agreed with him that it would be best for Harley if she killed the Joker. The plant mistress glanced at the only other Straw Hat in the room, except Chopper would not meet her eyes, focusing on his newest herbal remedy. The two of them got along well given Chopper's appreciation for herbs, and using them for medicine. Especially since he was so reverent about it. Poison Ivy had no issue with using plants like that, so long as it was done with respect, for a more reasonable purpose, and promoted the growth of more of them.

Seeing no help from that quarter, Ivy turned back to stare daggers at Luffy as she tried to think of an argument to sway him. She racked her brain for a few minutes, until he sighed and put down his newest sandwich to levelly gaze at her. His pupils were dilated in an unnerving way, and seemed to be stabbing right into her soul as her spine crawled.

Finally he broke his gaze away and went back to eating. "She's your responsibility."

"Huh?" gaped the super-villainess.

"She's your responsibility," he repeated as if _she_ were the idiot. "It's _your_ job to keep her safe, but she can stay here, and you'll still retain our protection."

She stared blankly at him for a moment, digesting what he had said, then smiled and rushed off to tell Harley the good news. As she did, Nami ran into the kitchen to tell Luffy that Zoro and company had hit a little 'snag' that made her furious.

Luffy found it hilarious.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"What'll I do now, Red?" moaned Harley as she sat on a comfy, red couch. "It feels like my life's over."

"Don't you worry," Poison Ivy said reassuringly as she rubbed her friend's back. "It'll all work out."

Truthfully, Poison Ivy knew she should say and offer more, yet for the life of her she did not know what. She had . . . trouble with people. Except for Harley. And even then she never fully knew how to help her. It was all she could do to not congratulate Harley from getting out from under the Joker's thumb. Harley needed someone to help her feel better, someone like—she snapped her fingers. It was a bit of a gamble given how their last meeting had gone, except he could make up for his idiocy while delivering some pampering. Moreover, while he _was_ a pervert, he never seemed to act upon it.

"Let's go to the kitchen," she told Harley. "Some food will make you feel better while I fix you up somewhere to sleep."

The rumours about her and Harles' 'relationship' aside, she figured that the blonde would feel better knowing there was her own private room available to her if she wanted it.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sanji checked himself in mid-twirl as he took in Harley sitting at the dining room table.

As was tradition, the eating area was directly connected to the kitchen, allowing instant distribution of the still-hot food, and allow whoever was cooking to instantly interact with everyone else—Sanji was bending his 'no one else cooks in here, _especially_ Luffy' rule, in giving Maureen some cooking tips to help the former homeless girl feel more independent.

Harley however was slumped over the table, chin resting on her forearms in a picture of dejection. While her face was clean and dry, at this range Sanji's keen nose could still smell her beautiful feminine aroma tainted by tears of sorrow.

Delicately, he laid down the cup of cocoa, with marshmallows and a little cream to cheer her up.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Harley Quinn grabbed a blond ponytail in one hand as she threw a glare at the stuffed up cook, ignoring how delicious her drink was—how did he even get the exact number of marshmallows she liked? While she had only been an intern at Arkham Asylum, Harleen Quinzel had still been a trained psychiatrist, and recognized when someone was giving a 'patient' space. Her! Harley Quinn, the Joker's top enforcer, who kept the criminal underworld of _Gotham_ in fear of her, and had fought _Batman_ countless times. She was not weak! She did not need _pity_! Before she could yell at him however, he spoke first. "Would you like to help me clean up the kitchen?" he politely asked.

That threw Harley off, and she hesitated. Helping out, getting moving, did seem okay, so she gave a nod and stood up.

"I'll handle my knives," the cook said without looking at her. "Could you please wash the dishes in the meantime? We can dry and put them away together."

Without another word, he picked up his personal knives, and started to sharpen them. Following his lead, Harley silently washed up the sink full of dishes. They dried up without speaking, and only when they were putting them away did he say anything to help direct her.

Not that she did it 'boringly' of course. Harley preferred to have fun doing things like throwing glass plates and bowls into the air and cartwheel forward to catch them.

"What're yah doing now?" Harley asked, for lack of anything else to do.

"I'm going to start cooking dinner in a little bit," Sanji answered, lighting a cigarette.

"Those are bad for ya, ya know?" she cheekily said as she pointed at the tobacco stick.

"Chopper's been treating my lungs ever since he first caught me smoking. And the woman who taught him did the same in between reshaping my spine," he said without concern. Then he gave her a serious look. "The ladies have their own combat training regimen if you want to join them. They'd probably appreciate someone else to help them get stronger."

Mind short-circuiting for a moment, Harley's jaw dropped a few centimeters, before snapping it back up again. "Thanks, but maybe later," she airily said as if it were nothing. "Besides, ya look like ya could use some help."

Grinning, Sanji nodded in approval. "Alright, you can start by getting some meat from the freezer." He pointed towards a metal door. "There's some warm clothing that'll also keep you clean in there."

With a little skip, Harley went and put on one of the several outfits, and then fully processed the door.

It was half again as wide and half again as tall as a regular door, made of reinforced steel that reminded her off a bank vault. A keypad was to the side. "Uhm, why the password and junk?"

"Oh, right."

Glancing back, Harley saw Sanji concentrating on something unseen. "Okay, Luffy's far enough away. Today's code is 9-5-8-7-7-7-3-5-2-1-4-0-5-7-1-4-6-6. Once the doors are open, immediately shout 'Tofu forever.'"

Blinking, Harley punched in the numbers without Sanji repeating them. Then the door swung open.

The steel door behind it slid to the left into the wall.

The door behind that one, slid to the right.

The next door rose to the ceiling.

The next door sank into the floor.

The next one split on a seam from the bottom right corner to the top left.

The next one split on a seam from the top right corner to the bottom left.

The next door rolled aside as a big wheel.

The final door opened up to reveal a dark space at the end of the long corridor.

Unnerved, Harley promptly shouted, "Tofu forever!"

Ominous clicking sounded from within the gloomy room down the long hallway. Worse were the sounds that made her think of disarmed traps all around her just standing outside the doorway.

"What is this!?" she yelled at Sanji.

Unfazed, he just waved his hand reassuringly. "Franky was a bit depressed one day, so I asked him to make me a meat freezer that could keep even Luffy out. We haven't really tested that in practice yet, but don't worry, it's perfectly safe now."

Refusing to show any fear, Harley stormed down the walkway, fists clenched at her hips. Up ahead, lights were automatically flickering on in the room ahead.

Even so, she was a little surprised as she took just how expansive it was, with row upon row of various meats hanging up in the cold temperature. There were even a few whole cows there, with space set aside to skin, clean, and gut them. Based upon all the preserved goods to the side, it seemed like they used up every part of them, except for the hooves.

Then she saw something else.

A few seconds later she was running back into the kitchen, grabbing by the collar the man she had seen beat her Puddi—the Joker within an inch of his life, and dragged him into the freezer.

"What the heck is with that!? Is that what ya're planning to do to me and Red!?"

Sanji blinked at the sight of Killer Frost still preserved within Brook's block of ice. "Oh, right," he murmured, a little embarrassed. "Thanks, we've been meaning to turn her over to the cops and get her out of our hair . . ."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Laugh," the Joker hissed from behind his bandages, hiding out in a suburban home.

The husband and wife who lived there were crying as they laughed, the Joker Venom in their veins contorting their faces as they cackled with forced humour.

"Laugh!" he roared, stabbing the man first, over and over again. "LAUGH I SAID!" Disgusted, he let the corpse drop, and turned upon the woman. " ** _LAUGH!_** "

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Sorry for the delay, getting the Halloween chapter after Christmas, but life and working on my other fics intervened.**

 **.**

 **Regarding some comments about Jinbe's lack of screentime, I am still getting a feel for him as a character and his interaction with the crew. For now he has been content to sit back and observe while the younger members handle things, but you can be assured his opinion is still heard. He will be participating more next chapter however :-)**

 **.**

 **For those of you who advocate killing the Joker, that will be addressed more in "Injustice for All." As for the League's lack of reaction to Sanji saving a bunch of children from being poisoned, they were more focused on the Joker and new information about the perceived threat of the Straw Hats. Saving kids WILL be addressed next chapter.**

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 **Next Chapter: "Not all Fun and Games," where we see what Zoro, Jinbe, Brook, and Grundy were up to.**

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 **Please review and I will get back to you!**


	8. Not all Fun and Games

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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Justice

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Chapter 8: Not all Fun and Games

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 _Previously:_

 _The Straw Hat Pirates continue to quietly strengthen themselves, especially by recruiting more and more villains. However a Halloween celebration turns grim when the Joker provokes Sanji, leading to the latter crippling him. The League comes to the hospital where the Joker is being held, but the Clown Prince, further unhinged by his inability to laugh, escapes._

 _Meanwhile at the same time on Halloween night, the rest of the Straw Hats undertake a mission of their own._

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 **Contains spoiler for manga chapter 881**

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 **Warning: some events in this chapter are occurring before chapter 7, which ended on the night of October 31st. Just keep an eye on the dates.**

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October 20th

Gracefully Green Lantern floated into the boardroom through the large open windows.

"Thanks for having me," he said cheerfully, despite his gruff voice.

"The pleasure's mine," answered billionaire Bruce Wayne as he extended his hand. "How could we pass up a meeting with the Justice League at their request? Any chance of Batman joining us?"

"Sorry, no," said John Stewart as he raised his Ring hand to shake. "He said he'd be too busy, and gave me permission to be here in Gotham City."

"Pity," Wayne genially smiled. "I dare say he'd have a few things to say about this too."

Behind the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, the rest of the men and women sitting around the table gave their own polite greetings, a few also getting up for a handshake. No autographs from the hero though, not in Batman's city. They had their hometown pride after all.

"Well then," Wayne said. "Coffee? Tea? Something to eat?"

"I'm good, thanks," Green Lantern assured them.

"Let's get started then," and the billionaire nodded to Lucius Fox, who managed the day-to-day running of his company.

The older man promptly got down to business. "Just so we're all on the same page, we're discussing setting up insurance for homes, business, and other private property destroyed by super-villains, as well as damage caused by super-heroes, or the authorities in the process of arresting said villains, given the danger they represent."

"That's right," Green Lantern nodded. "Usually the Justice League and the independent heroes do their best to help fix it up afterwards, especially Flash and Superman who can do it pretty quick, or guys like Batman pay for it. Unfortunately, we don't always have the chance, or it's not something we can take care of. And frankly we don't have an infinite amount of money. What the Justice League is hoping to help form is something that would help people with rebuilding their lives, while we're dealing with the next threat."

"Of course," Wayne nodded. "And as Gotham City has so many super-villains, the loss of livelihood we see here is consequently much higher too. Wayne Enterprise has provided relief where we can, but I know Commissioner Gordon has been pushing for something like this for a while now."

"I presume," Fox put in, "that this will be a non-profit organization?"

"Of course," Green Lantern firmly agreed. "A public service, and not something that can be abused. Which is the main reason why we need your professional help with this. We need a company that will not serve to benefit from super fights, will investigate insurance fraud, and make sure the money is used for what it's supposed to be. Otherwise people might misuse it and only worsen the situation. Yet at the same time, when it gets going, it's got to be independent and self-sustaining, so it still has to make its own income. Putting together all that is outside of our areas of expertise."

"Of course," Wayne said, with a firmness that made all his subordinates sit a little straighter. "I don't see any reason why we can't accomplish this. I presume you brought some preliminary ideas and figures?"

Nodding, Green Lantern pushed forward the folder they had all seen him bring, while Fox pulled out his own.

"I must say," Fox added, "I'm glad to see you doing this. Was it your idea initially?"

Green Lantern waved a dismissive hand. "We came up with it together when we saw how much our fights were escalating. I'm the one with the background with the ins and outs of construction, and have seen some similar stuff on other planets, so I volunteered to meet you."

"Either way," Fox stated with conviction, "you're doing a good service. Now, let's see how we can carry it out."

The window exploded.

Instantly Green Lantern was up, forming a dome barrier to protect everyone from the shards of glass. A loud noise caught his attention, as at the same time a buzz saw burst out of the floor near Bruce Wayne, and cut a hole for him to fall through. He was gone before Green Lantern could safely multitask without risking the lives of everyone else in the boardroom.

The loud boom of a rocket then rattled the room, and he caught a glimpse of something zipping away at extreme speeds.

 **!JUSTICE!**

It spoke well of Batman's self-control that he was not silently cursing right now.

There he was, at a meeting with Green Lantern and his board of directors, working to help improve things for people outside of doing battle with super-villains, and now one had abducted him. And not just anyone. He had a depressing suspicion of what the motive behind this was.

"I suppose I'm a hostage," he deadpanned. "I'm sorry, but could we schedule this for another time?"

What? Bruce Wayne's parties, galas, company events, etcetera, were regularly gate crashed by criminals. Which only made this all the more embarrassing since a) his kidnapper had somehow disarmed or evaded all his precautions, b) had done so right in front of a fellow League member, and he had to play the victim, and c) she was probably only doing it for the thrill of it. Oh, and he would have to wait to be rescued, since 'Batman was busy.'

Batman knew he would be counting his blessing if Alfred was not ribbing him about this tonight. Or Dick calling to 'make sure he was feeling alright.'

"You bet!" was the gleeful claim of the criminal currently steering the vehicle Batman was handcuffed too, which was nothing more than a rocket with seats strapped on.

Roxy Rocket, ex-stunt-double turned adrenaline-junky crook. Wearing her aviator's jacket, with her long red hair trailing behind her, she was undoubtedly as attractive as she was skilled. Despite his circumstances as she swerved through skyscrapers at breakneck speeds, Batman knew he was in no danger. Together they dodged death and destruction by only a hairsbreadth, as she wove and improvised with finely honed intuition. She was just that good.

"Sorry to ruin your afternoon," Rocket went on, "but I've got a hot date with you tonight."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Batman smiled, turning on the charm, while letting his eyes smolder with (false) desire. "Although I'd still like to do this some other time. I do have a meeting to finish. And then maybe I can pay my 'ransom' personally?"

"Too bad! I've just stolen you out from under the nose of one of the Justice League, and I'm—"

"Going right to prison?"

Despite Roxy's shock, she maintained control of her ride as she snapped her head around to see Green Lantern effortlessly keeping pace with her.

Faster than she could react, a blade shot out from his Ring and cut off the seats she and Batman were riding on, making them come off the rocket and into a green bubble that both safely canceled their inertia. Another one formed around the rocket, letting it harmlessly explode within.

A little more manipulation with the constructs, and Batman was safely in his own separate bubble, with the handcuffs removed, while Roxy was scowling at Green Lantern. She had known he could fly fast, and use various abilities to make him the perfect challenge, but she had assumed she was still good enough to succeed, while his (supposedly) failed pursuit would give her the necessary thrill. Then she brightened and jabbed at his Ring. "Can I get one of those?"

"No," was his flat retort. Turning his attention to Batman, "Are you alright, Mr. Wayne?"

"Call me Bruce," he smiled. "Shall we get back to our meeting?"

"No chance for that date then?" Roxy asked half-heatedly. She had just been teasing before, yet a playboy billionaire was still a playboy billionaire.

"Sorry," Batman shrugged to communicate how helpless he felt. "Green Lantern came all this way to talk. And afterwards, I have a meeting with . . . a certain someone tonight. I can't be late for her—them, I mean. You understand."

"Yeah I do," Roxy huffed, sticking to reliving the thrill of that chase, however short it was. _Maybe next time I'll…_

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later that evening

"I'm ever so glad that Green Lantern was able to rescue Bruce Wayne," Alfred dryly said in his British accent, bringing Batman his dinner. "Despite the interruption, I do hope your little get-together still proceeded as planned?"

"We've made excellent headway, but we won't be able to implement those changes just yet. As much as everyone wishes otherwise, it'll take at least another month.

"As for Roxy Rocket, she was as cocky as usual," grunted the Dark Knight. "Unfortunately, she's a symptom of a growing problem. Crime's spiking in Gotham. Including metahuman crime. Although last time she left the city."

As he had been reflecting lately, over the last few years both he and the Gotham Police Department had been making serious inroads towards reducing crime. Wayne Enterprises' relief efforts and social outreach programs had also been making progress in stopping the conditions that helped encourage crime in the first place.

Batman was not blind. People were more likely to rob when they were desperate for cash to pay their rent, so they and their families were not kicked out onto the streets. Or how people who felt they had no future were ripe targets for drug dealers, making them willing to do anything to feed their addiction. Batman's more violent, nightly activities were still necessary to stem the flow, save lives, and give a more vivid incentive to not start in the first place. He handled the threats the regular cops were just not qualified for, and overall helped the legal authorities do their jobs.

Think of it as bad cop, good cop, where the bad cop could punch you in the face, and/or dangle you off a building until you cooperated, and then vanish before the good cop got there. And that good cop was not particularly motivated to find bad cop in the first place, so you had better make a deal with him before bad cop comes back . . .

"In the last few months," Batman elaborated, "more and more criminals from out of town are coming here."  
"Yes, you said as much," Alfred agreed. "And I'm still confused as to why. After all, criminals protect their 'turf,' as it were, here just as viciously as elsewhere. If not more so, given how entrenched the underworld is here, and with so many super-villains at that. So what has changed? Does the League have any insight?"

Grunting, Batman pulled up some other files. "No, I haven't asked them."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Alfred's carefully neutral tone still held a drop of acidity. "Perhaps you should ask them then, sir. To get a second opinion, as it were."

"You may be right," Batman admitted, seeing his own lack of progress. "But there's something else I want to discuss with them first." He pointed at the profile pictures up on the screen, with a few lines of information detailing who they were, psychological summaries, threat level, and weaknesses. "While supervillains seem to be coming towards Gotham, a bunch of them have also dropped completely off the radar. What's concerning isn't just that some of them are powerhouses in their own right, it's also that most of them are not known for being subtle and patient. Certainly not enough to be quiet this long."

"And you don't think they've suddenly become reformed, upstanding citizens," Alfred heavily concluded. Not that he could blame Master Bruce as he saw the list.

Volcana.

Parasite.

Gorilla Grodd.

Solomon Grundy.

And others . . .

"Clark should have some insight into some of them of course," Batman mused aloud. "And then we can look into what's happening with Gotham."

Sighing, Alfred shook his head. "If you insist, Master Bruce."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Watchtower

At that very same time, Hawkgirl was doing her own analyses, combing through hints and clues.

Obviously tracking super criminals was a difficult task, given the effort they put into hiding themselves, and she was still fully integrating herself into the ins and outs of this world. Still, as one of Thanagar's former instructors into espionage, she was anything but complacent.

Other tidbits were interesting her however, as it appeared that some gang bosses had mysteriously gone under. Investigations had concluded that a rogue meta-human was responsible. While separately they did not add up to much, after looking at the evidence and testimonies again, Shayera now wondered if the Straw Hats were actually the culprits.

"Hmph," she grunted aloud.

"Something the matter?"

Recognizing the sound of Green Lantern's voice, she found herself frowning more. The two of them had been arguing more and more lately, and she could not bring herself to explain why. Despite this, she could not find it in herself to avoid him, or feel actually violent about it. This confusion only frustrated her even more. Not being sure about how to behave or react wasn't like her at all.

"The Straw Hats," Shayera answered without turning around. "I think they've been doing more than just robberies. Looks like they might've been taking out some rival crime bosses along the way."

Stepping up close, Green Lantern leaned forward to read the original reports himself, making her snap at him. "What? Don't trust me?"

"It's not that," he growled back. "I just want to get an idea of what you're talking about!" Grimacing, he cut himself off and handed her one of the cups of coffee he had brought. "Here."

Accepting the peace offering, she took a sip of the bitter drink. While normal coffee was not particularly appreciated by her alien taste buds, she had discovered enough salt and cinnamon made it pretty pleasant. Even better, it was a genuinely new foreign experience for her. _Didn't realize he knew I liked it that way._

"Yeah, definitely looks like they've been into this too," Green Lantern continued. "Did you see that report Superman put together?"

Not even bothering to look at the files the man had pulled up, Shayera nodded her head. "You mean the one collecting the facts the Soul King groupies try to ignore?"

"Precisely," grimaced the ex-marine, now-space cop. "The Straw Hats might console themselves saying they're only robbing from the big companies and laboratories, or beating up other crooks, but everything has consequences."

Bank vaults had been emptied. Museums robbed of historical artifacts. Jewels disappearing into the night. Major companies had lost machinery wholesale, entire supplies of materials, or whatever else was desired by the self-proclaimed pirates.

Several of those businesses had been unable to recover, and forced to shut down, putting people out of work. And insurance could only cover so much.

People, innocent people, losing their lifesavings, children's education, retirement, the whole shebang.

Moreover, with the rising tide of supervillain crime, both the League and ordinary law enforcement were being pushed to the limit as they tried to investigate and manage every crime. While the Straw Hats were not solely responsible for that, they were still a major contributor.

Taxes were being lost too, which contrary to belief were not designed exclusively for lining the pockets of politicians; they also made a country run.

Build roads.

Schools.

Hospitals…

It was not just the pride of heroes and cops who were hurt by 'Captain' Luffy and his gang.

With a sigh, Green Lantern rubbed his eyes. "We'll get through this," he promised. "We'll stop them all. And with our work for social relief, like we're doing with Wayne Enterprises, which should help even more."

"Yeah, I saw the news about that," Hawkgirl noted. "Any troubles with that kidnapper? Rocket or something?"

Truthfully she was more interested in hearing about Bruce Wayne. As a literal outside observer to this planet, she was less convinced he was just a playboy billionaire, whose sole redeeming quality was his generosity at charities, hard work, and talent at finding people trustworthy enough to manage his affairs so he could continue to spend money as fast as possible. Moreover, he was reported to have several times met Batman in public, removing him as a potential suspect.

Except with the amount of money Batman threw around (such as building a honking _space station_ , without leaving any paper-trail Hawkgirl could trace), he has to have a wealthy backing. Unfortunately, there were a _lot_ of rich men and women in Gotham City who might be willing to do so, and Wayne was not the only one who had lost family members to crime. And that was assuming Batman's backer was not lying low and hiding their wealth through various false identities so no one would suspect them in the first place. She gave a mental snort. _Or he's doing it all on his own, living off the grid as Batman 24/7, while doing something like playing the stock market under various aliases. It's also equally possible that he set up those meetings with a fake Batman to throw people off; he's certainly sly enough for that._

"Nah," John reassured her with a dismissive wave. "The only trouble was relocating to a different office room, and putting up with Wayne's dillydallying in choosing a new one that was 'appropriate.' Honestly, the cafeteria would've been good enough for me."

"Good. Now go get some rest. I'll keep looking for any clues."

He bristled, yet she ran over him. "You've been up for hours, and I just started," she told him with a touch of irritation. "Don't think that because your Ring can keep you from needing food and sleep, it doesn't mean you don't need any downtime." It could also handle bodily functions, which frankly was not something she wanted to know in greater detail.

Scowling, he nodded and walked off, although not before getting in the last word. "I'll want to see your results when I get up."

 **!JUSTICE!**

October 22

The warm sun was lighting up the opening of the newest Cherry Blossom Medical Center.

Originally founded and owned by the Straw Hat Pirates, when they had been discovered, they had been forced to divorce themselves from it as thoroughly as possible. While the former employees had received a nice final pay cheque, and had been given shared ownership of all the property, all of 'Dr. Mikan's' patents and private notes had been put onto the public domain. Meaning that everyone could now develop what had once been exclusive products.

Despite this, the company had rallied together, and were still a major producer of advanced medical supplies, remaining stiff competition for LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises.

They were also not fans of the Justice League.

Things had been fun and profitable under their old bosses, until the heroes had made a frankly _illegal_ search of the premises based upon mere suspicions. Yes, Sanji Kuroashi (the pervert) and the others had clearly been doing some shady stuff, even before Luffy's major revelation at the Soul King's concert, yet that did not change how the League had lacked any concrete evidence of that beforehand. Moreover, what had been discovered in the secret basement (which was illicit in itself) was hardly anything as serious as the corruption _other_ businesses were engaged in!

They were a medical company for crying out loud! And not one that had done any remotely unethical experiments at that!

Which meant it was a bitter pill to swallow when the Justice League approached them to help rebuild themselves back to their present status. Offering support to alleviate the stigma of being a company formerly owned by supervillains (even if Soul King retained a large fanbase). Given this aid, this meant the new board of directors felt obligated, for better or worse, to invite Wonder Woman who was standing before a crowd today, to the grand opening of a new building for expanding Cherry Blossom Medical's production.

"Tch! What a joke," scowled Sanji from behind his sunglasses. He had a hat on to cover his hair, large sunglasses to hide his distinct eyebrows, and was lost in the crowd. In front of him was a stroller, with the screen down to keep Chopper hidden. The fabric was special however, acting in reverse of a standard design so that his 'son' could see out far better than people could look in to see who was there.

" _I'm just glad they're continuing it_ ," Chopper said through his radio.

"I'm just glad Wonder Woman's the one hosting this," blushed Sanji, giggling a little as he fantasized about the heroine.

Safely concealed, Chopper just rubbed his forehead, letting his friend enjoy his delusions.

"—formed by criminals, this company will continue towards the advancement of mankind, without operating in secret."

"If you'd just left us alone we could've kept doing it, and better," groused Chopper. He had been _proud_ of his company! He had been _helping_ millions, if not _billions_ of people!

"Simmer down," murmured Sanji, snapping back to reality. "Yeah, they were idiots about it, and got burnt by the press for it," –newspapers that would actually criticize those in power were a new and strange phenomenon for the pirates— "but there's no good in dwelling on it."

Then applause broke out as Wonder Woman finished her speech while they had been distracted. She stayed to shake some hands, and then flew away.

"Huh!?" chirped Chopper. "That's it?"

"According to this flier," Sanji explained, "she had to hurry off to some other charity event. Something about raising attention on the plight of the homeless." Something which admittedly he was sympathetic about. Luffy and Idiot Mosshead might be of the opinion that if people wanted a better life they should just take it, and failing to meant they were weak, while Sanji had a more empathetic appreciation for what those sorts of people went through. The horrible circumstances that brought them to that point, and the ones that kept them there. Not to mention the hunger . . .

If the Justice League was raising awareness, to promote understanding, respect, and compassion, then more power to them in the cook's opinion. More importantly, unlike other 'concerned citizens,' they seemed to try and do it regularly, as opposed to just once a year. _Hmm…I should talk to Franky about what he did for the homeless of Water 7._

 **!JUSTICE!**

October 23

"If we rob Fort Knox," Nami argued, "then we can take all that gold back home with us!"

Most of the crew decided right then and there to stay out of this, playing possum while Nami's eyes were literally glowing. "And we need the cash to lay low for as long as possible!"

Ever fearless, Zoro argued, "Then we should rob the gold just before Franky's figured out how we can leave this world, so we don't have to store and protect it! Bills are easier to handle."

"But if we have it now we'll be able to take it right away from its hiding place!" Nami yelled.

"Not right now," Luffy said.

Nami paused. She had expected Luffy's support, except she could see that her Captain's head was bowed so that his hat shadowed his eyes, which meant he was actually thinking. "Nah," he finally said.

Nami blinked in surprise, but before she could start chewing him out, Jinbe spoke out. "Why not, Luffy? Are you concerned about something?"

"Well, we're trying to lie low, right? Keeping them from finding us is more important. So why go that big?"

"Hah!" smirked Zoro, who enjoyed seeing the witch hit an argument she could not beat.

"We do still need some funds to get by for the next few months," Robin diplomatically put in. "Where will that come from?"

Face still hidden, Luffy just shrugged. "I dunno. Something quieter. And maybe far away so they won't be waiting for us."

"They being the Justice League," mused Usopp, finally participating. "So maybe outside of the US where they're most centered."

"Sure. Whatever," Luffy yawned. Then he lifted up his hat to beam at Nami. "Don't you worry though. We're still taking all the gold we can once Franky can get us home. Might as well make our stay here worthwhile after all."

Whenever their Captain brought up one of his rare smart ideas, everyone knew better than to argue.

Satisfied, Nami sat back down, and started to brainstorm another rich place to rip off within her leader's new criteria.

 **!JUSTICE!**

October 28th

Somewhere in the tropics

Carrying several hampers of canned and preserved food (and yes, this time he remembered the peanut was supposed to be chunky), and a few perishables for a treat for today, Clark Kent raced through the air to an overdue appointment.

To his shame he had gotten a few days behind on Claire Selton's supply run. True, she would have plenty to get her by for a few more weeks, but that was not fair to her. Besides, he had been late several times in the past, and all of the issues he and the Justice League had been dealing with over the last few weeks were no excuse. It was only an hour or so out of his day after all.

A minute later he arrived . . . to an empty island.

Sunny and tropical, the little plot of land had enough room for a single person to live comfortably, while being totally isolated from the rest of the world. As far away from civilization as Clark could find, without becoming an inhuman prison for the meta-human criminal, Volcana.

Grimacing, he changed course to head directly to the Watchtower in space.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Watchtower

Later

"What were you thinking?" growled Batman.

Opening his mouth, Superman was cut off as his friend bulled on with as cold and biting a tone as he could manage. "You imprisoned an unstable meta-human in solitary confinement without any legitimate authority, sporadic oversight, and I suppose you'll be surprised when Volcana springs up again as a supervillain with her considerable power!?"

"I couldn't trust the normal penal system, given the rogue government factions after her," defended Superman. "I couldn't be sure they were all gone, and they wanted her either as their enslaved assassin, to sell her, or dead so they could dissect her! And those very same powers meant no normal prison could have held her! They'd have to imprison her in a containment unit, forced to wear an oxygen mask to breathe, 24/7!"

If anything, that only made Batman more incensed. "So you decided to be judge, jury, and warden yourself!?"

It was only the two of them, yet they both knew the rest of the League was going to have to hear about this.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" demanded Superman.

Truthfully, the penal system was a sore spot for the heroes. To work with law enforcement and the authorities, to prove themselves worthy of the trust of the people, included handing criminals over for lawful imprisonment. Indeed, all of the League regarded the police officers as the _real_ heroes, as they did everything they could without the powers or resources people like Superman and Batman possessed.

Unfortunately, it also made it rather difficult for them to _keep_ their prisoners locked up. Or prevent others from breaking them out. Not without violating their fundamental rights, which was a slippery slope that Batman knew certain people would jump on and abuse, if given the opportunity. Lex Luthor came to mind for one, especially as they lacked evidence to prove his own crimes. _So far. But just a little bit longer_ _. . ._

"Not isolate her from human contact, and hope that said isolation would be enough to keep people away from her in the tropics!" snapped Batman. "Or that you'd be able to drop by often enough to see her! You should _know_ what that does to people!"

Grimacing, Clark bowed his head to glare at the table. Then took a deep breathe to think on what he was being told. . . . _And despite her flirting, I always remained her captor. No matter how much it was supposed to help her. Not to mention she already had trust issues beforehand_.

"She still chose to be a criminal," he sighed. "So if we see her, we'll have to arrest her again. Maybe I can negotiate for a more lenient sentence though."

"If we see her again, she'll be a dangerous threat," shot back his less-than optimistic friend. "Her pyrokinetic powers and mastery of them, makes her one of the most powerful metas on the planet! And according to the Metropolis police reports for the heist where you first met her, she would have burned alive everyone at that yacht club if you hadn't been there!"

Clark knew that Bruce was referring to the original reports, which he had somehow uncovered; the rogue federal operatives who had been tracking Volcana down, had inserted their own altered versions, as part of covering their tracks. No point in asking how he had found them. Unfortunately, that did not change the fact that Volcana had proven a willingness to risk the chance of homicide over finesse in committing crimes; albeit out of no small amount of desperation to stay ahead of said operatives.

Suffice to say, Clark, and the rest of the Justice League, now kept a close eye on any and all institutes that helped people with paranormal abilities. Particularly to ensure no vulnerable children went 'missing' again.

 _"Volcana, no!" cried Superman as she confronted the helpless man who had ruined her life. "Let the courts deal with him."_

 _"You'll understand if I'm a little skeptical about the justice system," she replied lashing out at Superman with fires powerful enough to even hurt him a little. Especially since he did not want to hurt her. "I prefer my own justice. And if you're not part of my solution, you're part of my problem."_

 _Later when she was lying on the beach he had set her up at._

 _"Food, shelter, sunshine, could be worse."_

 _"Could be Metropolis Woman's Prison," he smiled back, "if you weren't so, volatile."_

 _"Polite to the end. Your mother raised you well."_

 _"I was lucky."_

 _Now her face hardened with bitterness. "Yes. You were."_

A woman who had been betrayed by everyone she had ever trusted before even meeting him.

Rubbing his face, Clark gave his friend an apologetic look. "I'd just wanted to help her after all she's gone through. Give her some peace, and a life where she didn't have to rely on stealing. Instead, I only made it worse, didn't I?"

Saying nothing, Batman merely turned his attention back to reading up on Project: Firestorm. A US black ops program to create a super-powered assassin, and who had given Superman too much trouble for his peace of mind; even if the alien _had_ been holding back a lot.

 **!JUSTICE!**

November 1st

(About the same time as Superman meets Joker in New Orleans, which would still be October 31st in America)

"—personally," Franky was saying, "I really want to have a good chat with Superman. I know we're kindred spirits."

"Oh," Brook curiously asked. "How so?"

"Well, first he does what he wants without worrying about what other people think, like a _real_ man! And that's including how he's not afraid to show his face either. Everyone knows who he is because he goes around without a disguise on. _And_ , he wears his underwear on the outside! He doesn't care that people know he's a pervert!"

Brook was almost doubled over laughing, Solomon Grundy chortled, Zoro smirked, and Jinbe's lips twitched in amusement.

"What!? I'm serious!" boomed Franky, setting them off more.

Shaking his head, Zoro rested his hand on the hilts of his swords. "Speaking of which, we really should get serious. Time to get to work."

The five of them were on a rooftop, staring down at a large bank from atop a neighbouring building. While closed for the evening, there were still people going about on the street. Usually the pirates would discretely rob the place of all its cash, except their specialists for that were all out enjoying Halloween.

Moreover, now that the League was on to them, it was decided that any special tricks they had should be kept in reserve, lest anyone learn about them. On the other hand, simple brute force was rather straightforward, and honestly would not reveal too much, hence the line-up for this heist, while the others enjoyed Halloween. Besides, not only was everyone besides Zoro too large and distinctive to be out partying, their appearances also forwent discretion anyways. Finally, Nami and Robin wanted the money ASAP, so the crew could all disappear back into the shadows until the heat died down, using the cash to maintain their operations in the meantime.

They were still taking precautions however, which was why they were not in the United States of America (or "United Steaks of America" as Luffy kept calling it), choosing a prominent London bank instead.

Yes, in his spare time, Franky had built a stealth jet for them to cross the Atlantic in. Because he is awesome. In addition, he had benefited from how Robin, Nami, and Brook having ridden a super-stealth bomber during the whole incident with the crazy Amazon lady, and brought back lots of useful tips, including a copy of the manual and blueprints Robin had memorized.

As a final precaution, they all put on big cloaks to cover themselves. For while they were abandoning subtly, and none of them besides Zoro could walk down the streets in public without standing out anyways, Jinbe cautioned that there was still no need to make themselves identifiable.

Of course, giant figures (for the humans who lived here at least) wearing fully concealing cloaks one early morning after Halloween, were still pretty noticeable. Especially since Zoro's swords still stood out, and he would never consent to leaving them behind. Not to mention how he carried three of them, and had green hair. It was weird how no one (besides Sanji) seemed to pay attention to that in their own world where that colour was even rarer, yet it stood out more here with all the posers who used dye. Nami had tried to convince Zoro to change it, but he had steadfastly refused, even in the face of a rising debt. It was _his_ hair, and he could do what he wanted with it!

Hence the crowd of people getting away from the bank as fast as they could once they saw them.

"Pretty smart," Zoro sneered, before kicking in the doors to the bank. "Well, no matter. Let's make this quick, and get out of here."

"What about Justice League?" growled Grundy, having forgotten about that part of the briefing.

"According to Robin, we're good," Franky reassured him, albeit quieter than usual. Low profile and all that. "League's either occupied, or elsewhere, like up in space. We just have to move fast."

With that in mind, they continued into the bank, smacked the guards aside, and walked right past the empty teller booths.

"Grundy, if you please?" Brook politely asked, holding a gloved hand towards the vault.

"Why me?" asked the zombie.

"Because if we are discovered, they already know you have super-strength. They won't know what we can do," the skeleton elaborated, even as Zoro cut down the cameras. "Just a precaution."  
Shrugging, Grundy walked up to the massive, reinforced steel door, and with barely any effort, wrenched it out of its frame

Fighting the urge to use super-speed to hurry it along (also a significant clue for investigators), Brook, Jinbe, and Franky hurried in, and started throwing money and wealth into bags, while Zoro walked back outside to stand guard.

To his pleasant surprise, a flying horse came charging at him.

In the same way a cat enjoys having a mouse run past it, when the feline is feeling bored.

Leaping down from his steed, was a man clad in gold chainmail armour, which made Zoro's Observation Haki tingle, as did the naked sword in the man's hand. "Villain!" cried the newcomer. "Surrender now!"

"You're Shining Knight, or something, right?" Zoro acknowledged in recognition. After all, he had asked Robin to look up whoever passed as a swordsman in this world. Of course, given the pitiful results, he had not tried hard to retain any of the details. Particularly for one of the independent heroes who did not even warrant membership into the Justice League. Then Zoro let his bloodlust shine through. "What brings you here?"

The man's face hardened, as gimlet eyes recognized his foe's passion, yet he did not yield.

He seriously did not know what he was dealing with.

As a pirate crew, each member of the Straw Hats had a job to do for their Captain.

For all Sanji's use to Zoro as a sparring partner, or dealing with other, less significant threats, Curly Brow's main job is too cook. For crying out loud, Luffy did not even know the man could seriously fight before trying to recruit him.

Jinbe is a former Warlord of the Seas, who answers to the title of Helmsman, because that is what he is expected to do.

Brook was brought aboard without Luffy having ever even personally seen him use his sword. He had been chosen because Luffy found a talking skeleton with an afro who asked to see women's panties too cool to pass up.

Robin? Because Luffy trusted her, not because she was one of the most dangerous women alive in either universe.

Franky? With him, Luffy had an idea of what the guy was capable of after he had helped them save Robin, except even then it was the personality of his future shipwright that mattered.

In fairness, Usopp did take his role of sniper seriously, even if neither he nor Luffy had any clue how much potential the long-nosed teen had truly had when he first joined up.

While the weather itself fought on behalf of their navigator, Nami was quite happy to avoid any battles.

Chopper was an exception since while Luffy had known the little guy could fight, he had not known the reindeer was a doctor. It was his strength of spirit that had made him stand out.

The point was, that Luffy had never recruited the others for their potential for laying waste to entire armies. They had developed that potential out of respect, loyalty, and love for their Captain.

Zoro?

 _I was chosen for my swordsmanship,_ he grimly thought, closing the lid over his cybernetic eye to shut it off.

 _For my ability to violently cut down whoever and whatever got in my crew's way. And this guy? He's in the way._

 _Worse, for him, he's so far beneath my level with a sword it's practically sad_. A glance was all that was needed discern _that_.

Although that sword and armour _were_ interesting. The 'breathes' they were giving off, were fascinating, and even confusing.

"Have at thee!" cried Shining Knight as he charged, sword raised high.

Curious, yet playing it safe, Zoro drew Shusui, his most durable blade, and imbued it with as much Armament Haki as he could muster, adjusted to meet the 'breathing' in that strange sword, and met the glistening edge of the enemy's blade head on.

For most swordsmen this was not only reckless, but worse, disrespectful to your weapon. However Zoro was used to cleaving straight through anything that came his way, and he could tell from Shining Knight's stance that he was used to doing the same.

The legendary swords locked together in a flare of sparks, sending the hero stumbling back a few feet, while the pirate stood firm. Both glanced at their personal weapons, and saw they were unmarred, displaying the power they both possessed. Moreover, that clash had made clear both wielded strength far greater than normal men.

Unbeknownst to Zoro, his lips were drawing back in into an inhuman smile, reminiscent of a cat who was now waiting for the tasty mouse to do something else to keep it remotely interested.

Or a starving tiger for that matter . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sir Justin, late of King Arthur's Court, knew that he faced a true villain.

One who hungered for nothing more than violence that was worthy of him drawing his blades.

On a professional note, Sir Justin was still curious as to why he carried three katana. While hardly magically adept himself, the knight was confident that neither of them were enchanted in any way. _Unless there are sentimental reasons to carry them, or he can grow extra arms to wield them?_ he distractedly wondered. _No matter. They shall not rob the fortunes of these good people. For all that though, this may be my greatest adversary._

Noble Gearradh had wrung with the sheer force of the impact, instead of continuing through. A weapon bestowed upon him by Merlin himself, which had never failed Sir Justin before.

"What is your name?" he asks his foe.

"Doesn't matter," and then the knave attacked, his actions as wide and ferocious as his smile.

And no less devastating.

Almost faster than Sir Justin could see, his foe ducked under Gearradh and delivered a vicious slash to his torso. The magic armour, enchanted by Merlin himself, held, but the world still blurred as Shining Knight was sent flying back across the street. For all that he had not been cut, the impact had nonetheless obviously inflicted physical trauma. _Chest aches. Cracked some ribs I think_.

Despite this, he rolled to feet, charging once more.

Barely did he block a slash at his face, and once more Sir Justin found himself rolling down the pavement. Drops of blood ran down from his face, yet once more he stood.

There was no sign of the other criminals in their obfuscating cloaks, which means they were either still robbing the bank, or had run off. No matter. There remained innocent people nearby trying to get to safety, and their hard-earned lifesavings were being stolen away. Moreover, they did not deserve to have to suffer the fear of being caught up in such events, or feel vulnerable at such crimes occurring. A knight's course was clear.

"Have you no shame, villain? Robbing those too weak to stop you?"

Now his foe appeared almost bored. "Then they should get strong enough to protect it. It's not like I'm killing anybody."

Grimacing, Sir Justin stalked forward. "So might makes right, and those weaker have only themselves to blame? There it tis once more, the creeping moral decay of the past thousand years."

"Oh?" sneered the man with visible derision. "So you're saying that everyone back in your time was moral and perfect?"

Snorting, Sir Justin leveled his blade. "Not perfect, no. Far from it even. However, in Camelot, every knight under King Arthur committed themselves to living with honour. To make the world better than it was before. And by our example, we did make a difference and bring a light to dark times. There were those who opposed this of course, and here I am now, with but another brigand before me."

Said brigand was unfazed.

A blur, and he was before Sir Justin, and this time the hero never even saw the strike that made sparks fly from his golden armour and bones creak as the sheer power of the strike still broke through. His flight down the street even farther this time. Except that his armour was still intact, and Gearradh remained in his hand. Sucking in a deep breath, Shining Knight pushed through the pain, and rose to his feet, glaring at the green haired criminal.

"You can't win," the villain noted, voice carrying down the now empty street. "And everyone's run off already, so there's no one to defend. Just give it up and go. You're going to die otherwise."

"Or you could surrender in turn," Sir Justin snapped back. While in part bravado, there was still sincerity to his words. Even greater truth in his next ones. "Besides, I will not forsake my honour and run."

Surprisingly, a contemplative look flashed over his foe's face, before resuming a feral smile akin to a beast. And yet, now there was a hint of something that suggested he was intrigued.

"What drives you?" asked the nameless swordsman. "Why do you fight so hard when you cannot win? You're too weak."

"Because tis my duty," Sir Justin answered as he advanced, Gearradh at the ready.

In contrast, his foe retained a casual stance, hand and sword dangling at his side. An insult, declaring the hero was not a threat. _And unfortunately true_ , Shining Knight calmly conceded. He was outmatched. Far more than when he had faced the ogre Blunderbore. _Yet every second I buy, tis another moment for help to come. And even if it doesn't, I cannot run while there tis even the slightest chance of victory._

"'Duty,'" the word was sneered back. "Don't you mean 'Justice'?"

"They mean the same thing!" snapped Sir Justin as he swung his sword. "To be a protector against ones who would do harm to those who have done nothing to them! To stop those who act solely upon their own self-interest and greed!"

Gearradh locked against the black katana, and he met the boring gaze of his enemy's single eye. "Your sword is heavy with conviction," the villain conceded to the hero. "Except mine's greater." Then the pressure against Sir Justin's blade exploded beyond anything before, and he was hurled through the air by the sheer force, smashing into the building across the street and through several following walls.

Sir Justin blacked out for an instant, then stood up once more, limping as he made his way past the rubble he had left in his wake, following the hole he had made in his passage. That his sword was missing did not pause his advance. He did not despair. If necessary, he would die as befitted a knight; defending the weak from those who would prey upon them.

The man was waiting for him outside on the street, a glimmer of satisfaction in his hungry, predatory eye and smile.

Stumbling, Sir Justin made his way forward to pick up Gearradh for perhaps the last time, his adversary patiently waiting. He could not tell if it was a bloodthirsty need to strike down someone who could actually fight back, a need to demonstrate his dominance, or some sliver of virtue, but Sir Justin appreciated the chance to arm himself.

To stand with honour.

To fight for the ideals his Lord King Arthur, and all his fellow knights, had believed in till the end.

Then the villain spoke loud and clear. "My name is Roronoa Zoro, of the Straw Hat Piratess." With those words, he unsheathed another of his swords and placed it within his teeth. Then he reversed the grip of the black sword in his left hand so it was laying against his forearm. Finally he drew out the last sword, holding it more traditionally. "What's your name again?" Zoro clearly asked, despite the hilt between his teeth.

"Sir Justin, the Shining Knight," gritted out the last knight of King Arthur of Camelot. "Now, have at thee!"

Once more he charged.

"Oni giri!"

Darkness.

 **!JUSTICE!**

November 1st

"First the Joker escapes from us, and now Shining Knight's hospitalized," grimaced Superman as he looked at the other heroes assembled on the Watchtower. "Batman's on the scene?"

Sir Justin had woken up briefly at one point to gasp out: "Zoro," and "Straw Hat," before falling unconscious again.

"Yes," Green Lantern nodded. "Hopefully he can explain why they've changed their M.O. so completely. Even if we do know about them now, we had no leads to finding them. So what made them decide to come out so boldly?"

"They probably want to go back into deep hiding," Hawkgirl offered, "and wanted the money to do so ASAP. So they're hitting fast now so they can disappear." It was the only explanation she could think of.

"Still, it's strange that one group goes partying, while the other one commits a felony," Diana said. "Even if the latter are apparently pretty distinctive even with those cloaks on."

"Yeah, and now we have a better idea of who they are," Flash optimistically put in. "There's a bunch of big guys, and this sword guy. Plus we have a rough idea of at least how many others from the Halloween party."

"I bet one was Brook, trying to help throw us off the scent," growled Hawkgirl, remembering the dangerous and misleading skeleton.

"That's probably not all of them," Superman warned. "Or else they're being really reckless. Still, you're right. Even if they were in costumes, we've still got more clues than before."

"Volcana might meet one of the descriptions of the ladies traveling with Luffy," Flash noted, wincing a little as he brought back up that sensitive issue. "Real buzzkill. Man, I wish things'd gone better between us. I mean, c'mon, he was wearing _my_ costume! He's a friendly guy, and travels with lots of hot women too! Why him and not me? Is it because he's a bad boy?"

Green Lantern snorted, and everyone else ignored the speedster's last comment.

"Ah well," the irrepressible Flash beamed, shining smile glinting. "I guess I'll just have to lay on the charm more!" Then he looked even cockier. "Hey! Maybe it was dressing in red," –i.e. again, Flash's costume for Halloween— "that did the trick."

"Uh huh, sure Hotshot," Green Lantern said, now rolling his eyes.

"Volcana's certainly a threat," Superman agreed, staying on track. "Except I don't think it's her with them. She hates authority figures, and wants to be as independent as possible. Even if it's just for money, I don't see her staying for long. And if they tried to force her, she'd lash out."

"Yeah, about that," Flash commented, putting aside his bag of chips and straightening up. "In all seriousness, they aren't acting like the kind of criminals we're used to."

"You're defending them!?" snapped Hawkgirl in disbelief.

Playing the peacekeeper, Superman held up a hand, before nodding to Flash. "What do you mean, specifically?"

"They didn't just save a lot of kids from being poisoned tonight, dying in the streets. How many crooks do we know who would stand up to someone like the Joker? Or come to a lady's defense like that? Except Black Foot did all that."

Stroking her chin, Hawkgirl considered the warrior code of Thanagar. While the women of her people were far more assertive and warlike than the ones of Earth, she thought she saw what her teammate was getting at. "They have a moral code, and stick to it. At least, more so than usual."

"And they still chose to make medicine," Wonder Woman threw in with regret. The re-opening of Cherry Blossom Medical had been a conflicting event for her. "They've _saved_ lives," she emphasized, repeating Flash's earlier point.

"And a music star," Flash threw in. "And yeah, they're breaking the law left and right, including stealing a lot of money and stuff, and threw one of our own into the hospital. Doesn't change the fact that they're different from guys like Orm, Faust, Grodd, Joker, and all those other troublemakers."

"We still can't let them get away with breaking the law," Green Lantern all but shouted, sweeping his arms to encompass the Watchtower. "Otherwise what's the point of all this!?" As an ex-marine, and over a decade as a space cop, he hated the very idea of criminals just walking free. _Especially_ when they had plenty of incriminating evidence against them.

"We won't," Superman promised. "However . . ." and now his eyes looked distant for a second as he considered Volcana. Gaze sharpening, he looks at each of his fellow Justice Leaguers in turn. "However, that doesn't mean we can't still find a way to solve this peacefully, without anyone else getting hurt. While they'll still have to make amends of course, the situation hasn't yet escalated too far."

Shining Knight was still alive after all.

Then Martian Manhunter came in to join them. "I just received word from Batman. Shining Knight is stable, and the doctors expect him to wake up sometime tomorrow. He reported nothing else."

"Which means they got away," Superman sighed. "Alright then, while Batman handles that, we'll continue looking for Joker. We'll join Batman in London tomorrow."

 **!JUSTICE!**

November 2nd

He awoke to a beeping noise, staring up at a white ceiling he dimly recognized.

Then a warm, comforting face filled his vision, one that instinctively made someone know they were safe.

"How are you feeling," Superman asked, relief coating his words.

Sir Justin managed a rasping sound, and the head ducked back and came back with a cup of water. "Easy," his fellow hero said, as he gingerly tipped it so that it trickled down the knight's throat.

Recovering from his disorientation, Sir Justin realized he was in a modern hospital, having only seen them on TV, or when visiting patients. Never as an invalid himself. "I'm alive?"

Superman's eyes hardened, and his jaw clenched. "Yes. After the pirates nearly killed you, they took the time to give you some first aid. The ambulance picked you up before we got there." Ashamed, Superman forced himself to meet Shining Knight's gaze. "I'm sorry. We weren't fast enough, even with the time you bought us."

"Were any citizens hurt?" Sir Justin's raspy voiced demanded.

"No, just you."

"Oh, good," the knight sighed as he let himself relax back into bed. "Then all is well." He cracked one eye open. "Do you know how long I'll be here?"

"The Justice League will do what we can to speed up your recovery," Superman promised, "but for now it's best for you to rest."

"Indeed." For a moment the Man of Steel thought the man –further proof of the worth of humankind— had fallen asleep, yet then he stirred again to look at Superman. "The swordsman who beat me, his name was Roronoa Zoro. You said he also saved me?"

Reluctantly, Superman nodded. "Yes."

"So he does have some honour. Interesting. And no, someone that skilled… he meant for me to survive. He knew that would not kill me. But he is also right, I will have to do better next time."

With that he fell asleep.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Listening to Shining Knight's heartbeat ease until he was definitely resting, Superman silently left the room.

Outside, the rest of the League was waiting along with a stern nurse who had made it clear that heroes or not, only one person was going in to see her patient at a time.

"How is he?" Flash asked first.

"He seems to be alright," Superman assured them. "Mostly just glad that no one else was hurt."

"A true knight," praised Diana, Flash and John grunting in agreement.

"So he took his loss well," J'onn asked, impressed at the human's resilience.

Irritably rubbing his head, Superman nodded. "Yes, but he's already planning for a rematch, and it's clear that this new swordsman of the Straw Hats' is no joke. Possibly even better than Brook."

"Shining Knight's a warrior," Diana bluntly said. "It's get stronger or die, and since the latter's out, there's only one thing left to do."

Privately, Hawkgirl agreed, except she did not want to allude to her people's martial culture. Fortunately, there was another way for her to contribute. "Remember what Star Sapphire said? How she thought the Straw Hat's leader was the man with three swords? Well now we've got an idea why."

"There's something else you should know," J'onn grimly added. He handed Superman a file folder. "While you were talking to him, we got a chance to read the crime scene report," he gestured at a police officer standing patiently nearby, "including what the first responders found." The Kryptonian had hoped to ask Batman about what he had found before going in, except his friend was absent. Also, his super-hearing had sensed that Shining Knight was waking up just as they had arrived, so he had gone to seem him first. All he knew was that the self-named pirates had escaped, and neither Batman nor the police had any leads. "According to this, despite having to flee a crime scene, not only did they take the time to lay him somewhere comfortable and make sure he would not die, they also left a message on the ground. Written in his blood."

A hint of anger infecting his voice, Superman read aloud what the emergency services had found: "'A true swordsman carries no wounds on his back. Also, a true swordsman is one who has learned how to not cut anything'?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Zoro," moaned Usopp. "Did you really have to give him advice on how to become stronger?"

"Eh." Zoro shrugged his shoulders in disinterest. "We'll probably be long gone home before he figures it out."

"But why'd you have to go all horror-esque and write it in his own blood!? Ugh!"

"I didn't have anything else to use!" snapped Zoro. "I didn't want to ask Franky, because if he had something to write with it'd be in his speedo." Both men shuddered. "And I wasn't going to use my blood, because then Chopper would chew me out. Or I'd get it on my clothes, and then I'd have to wash them, and the witch would get angry at me for using that expensive stain remover. She screeches."

"Oh, right! Nami's scary… Robin's been a terrible influence on you."

"Shut it!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **For the record, Sir Justin's stand against General Wade Eiling is one of my absolutely favourite scenes. Alas, he is facing a different type of enemy here. Indeed, as much as the Straw Hat Pirates are incredibly good people, _One Piece_ still operates with what TvTropes calls a Protagonist-Centered Morality. As for the bit about Gearradh** **, that is just something I decided to do myself. I mean, a magic sword that can cut through almost anything _must_ have a name, right? In this case, MasterQwertster came up with it, and it means "cutting" in Welsh. **

**.**

 **Superman gets a lot of grief for his prison for Volcana, but it is worth noting that the one she got anyways in canon when placed in regular prison was much worse. Stuck in a glass sphere (i.e. 0% privacy, and _nothing_ besides the clothes she was wearing) filled with an inert gas, with a facemask strapped to her head as her only source of oxygen. _Exactly_ what it was like for her when captive of those rogue government agents . . . :-( That is not to say I think Superman's so-called solution was a good idea; in fact it was a terrible, terrible idea doomed to failure.**

 **.**

 **Roxy Rocket was a popular request for joining the Straw Hat Pirates, but in the end I decided against it. While it is true she loves excitement like Luffy, she is not adventurous like he is. She is more in it for the thrill of risking life on the edge, deliberately seeking challenges that might genuinely kill her. Far too dangerous to have as part of your crew, and I feel Luffy would recognize that. After all, he was willing to leave behind the _Going Merry_ , no matter how much they all loved her, when sailing her became too great a risk, and let Usopp leave when he was willing to endanger the lives of everyone else to keep her.**

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 **Next Chapter: '** **The Siege of Gotham** **'**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**

 **Also, to Creation teller (Guest) and RockingRobin1234 (Guest), if you get an account I would be more than happy to discuss your ideas with you. They really do get the creative juices moving! :-)**


	9. The Siege of Gotham

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their own stories!

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 **Guest Review answers :-D**

Creation Teller

In terms of the gaining all the powers of the Lantern Corps, while that does have massive potential, that is also a reason why I am doing my best to rigidly stick to just the DCAU. Too much fun and potential and easy to get distracted. I have 70+ chapters planned and that is just them spending most of their time on Earth! Plus, Will is just part of the Spectrum; Rage, Avarice, Fear, Hope, Compassion, and Love are all separate from each other. That said, the idea of Luffy getting Lord Green Lantern's Ring is an AWESOME idea that I have to very carefully think about. On the one hand, yeah, awesome, and major power-up. On the other hand, while Luffy would not have access to the Power Battery to recharge it, it might make him TOO strong for this story. Hmm, decisions, decisions…

The Straw Hats will be recruiting more, but just because someone is ostracized by society does not automatically mean they would be interested in joining up, or that Luffy would be interested in them in turn. I will not say anything about Tygrus or Baby Doll right now, but Killer Croc is a definite no though. In the DCAU he has had several opportunities to find a home and acceptance, and unapologetically rejected it out of greed. In fact, one such opportunity was with Baby Doll even.

For the Thanagarian Invasion, I will just say not to underestimate thealiens. In canon, they came to Earth well informed, and with weaponry and plans for each member of the Justice League, as well as the various governments. They made some mistakes, but it was Hawkgirl's betrayal that made the difference. Do _not_ expect them to be unaware of the Straw Hats; even now they are already making plans for them . . .

As for the Grand Fleet, the problem with bringing them in is by that point the Straw Hats would be pretty much unstoppable with an army like that at their backs. Although recreating a DC version of that is not impossible.

I was unaware of that detail about Mirror Master, and I definitely will be using that for a plan I have for the Rogues. Thanks! :-D

The Justice League is definitely going to have to start rethinking their policies towards meta-criminals.

Originally I had no plans for 'The Knight of Shadows' episode, but thanks to you I know have *plans*! :-D

I do not intend for the Straw Hats to be in 'Hearts and Minds,' if only because they are trying to stay focused on going home, and getting caught up in space adventures would be too distracting.

Several of the villains would indeed like to go straight, such as Cheetah or Clayface if they ever managed to cure themselves. Harder to go on a crime spree without powers after all :-P

It would indeed be funny for Luffy to beat Giganta in one hit, but I have different plans for her and Grodd right now. You will see them fairly soon though ;-)

While Luffy might be interested in Lobo, the 'Main Man' is not really a team player, and finds his fun elsewhere. I guess my question is why he would want to join the Straw Hats? I have seen stories where he works with the heroes, but for those involve a lot of preparation to make it work, more than I feel willing to commit to with Lobo.

Toyman I was iffy about at first, but now I do have plans for him in the future. I do not have any real plans for Atomic Skull though. In the DCAU he comes off more as just a generic villain, and a fairly weak one as well.

Amazo will definitely make an appearance, and I think it will surprise you all ;-)

Sorry this took so long. Was working on my other stories, including rewriting my Naruto one, and real life kept intervening. Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your all your reviews and awesome support! I really appreciate how you keep giving me fresh ideas to consider! :-D

.

Guest

I have very different plans in mind for the time travel storyline, but I think you will still like it ;-)

I feel that Ally Langford is better off as she is for now. She was able to get help from Wayne Enterprises in the end, and unlike Cheetah or Clayface does not have an extensive criminal record yet. As for Teen Titans, I am trying to keep this confined to the DCAU which does not include that series. Although I readily admit I would love to see Zoro beat on Deathstroke :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

RockingRobin1234

World of glass really does seem to describe the DCAU universe to the Straw Hats well. Just like if they tried returning to live in the East Blue by this point. Which is extra ironic given how the DCAU is the source of Superman's infamous 'World of Cardboard' speech :-P

I hope Zoro was sufficiently 'wowing' or intimidating in chapter 8 ;-) And yes, Luffy will be indeed cutting lose in the future, although fortunately (for his enemies) no one in the DCAU has reason to know about his brother. As for the Thanagarian Invasion, Wild Cards, and Injustice for All, I have *plans* for those, and yes you can bet the Joker will be involved!

LOL no, I can see the Straw Hats doing their heists in those leather outfits too! Only for extra serious robberies however.

I was honestly planning to skip over 'A Knight of Shadows,' except thanks to Reviewers like you I now have some pretty solid ideas for that chapter ;-)

How the flow of time works between dimensions, and if it is altered or not, is a big issue. Unfortunately for the Straw Hats, they do not know the answer, and are worried sick regarding what is going on back home. Which is unfortunate for the DCAU in their haste…

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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Anoneme

Really appreciate hearing how well I am incorporating all the little details, and getting the Straw Hats interactions with the villains done so well :-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Anoneme

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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DrHeartStealer

Glad that I avoided all those crossover issues, and yeah I have found them annoying myself!

The Straw Hats will indeed be slowly widening their perceptions, it will just take some time. Prejudice can be tricky to shake after all.

As for Amazon, you will have to wait and see… ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Guest

…I had honestly missed that regarding holidays, and have something for that in later chapters. Thanks for pointing that out!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Guest

That really does some up the moral differences between the two universes pretty handily. The Justice League are used to fairly black and white stuff because that is what their universe involves. The Straw Hats have been stuck in an entirely different life, and both their experiences are colouring their actions.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Guest

Yes, Zoro went too long without a fight, and it was fairly easy for him. Problem is that Zoro is too powerful for most foes already, and so the only real challenges would involve a major escalation at a time when the Straw Hats are trying to avoid that. Of course it is only reluctantly on Zoro's part :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Anoneme

Yeah, Armament Haki is not a guaranteed victory, and also that neither side has fully committed yet is definitely true.

Hmm, I had not considered that connection between Shining Knight, the Flash, and universal vibration… Will have to give that some serious thought, and I know for sure Zoro would want a decent fight sooner rather than later ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Guest

The penal system, and death sentences, are indeed something I will have to look into more.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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nicksad

It is true, the Straw Hats do go on about Freedom, but they tend to overlook the harm their actions do. And in a world with people like Darkseid, the Justice League's efforts and sacrifices deserve more respect. Hoping to go into that more in the next few chapters. And on that note, here is the latest one, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Dani1361:

Glad to know I am doing the characters and their powers well, and thanks for the encouragement!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Guest:

Yeah, the League's powers can slide all over the place at times…

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Arios

Glad you like this so much, and there is a little something here that you inspired I hope you enjoy! ;-) Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

.

CooCooStomp

You are right that stealing from rich criminals would be profitable, and something they have done like with Steven Mandragora. Banks however are very convenient and (relatively) lightly guarded, and they are rather desperate for funds (expanded upon more next chapter) given how obsessed they are with getting home.

As for the bit about how banks are mostly electronic, that is indeed how it is now. However when the DCAU was filmed, and as portrayed in-universe, that is not the way it is. Robbing a bank in the DCAU will provide you with a nice bundle of cash.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

 **.**

wormrepo

Wow, lots of commentary to respond to, and since you have disabled your PM feature, I will have to address you like a Guest reviewer.

Incidentally, you have also generated reviews responding to your own.

Ch.1

Yeah, Superman does tend to do illegal scans to make sure that everything is safe, and invasive ones at that. However then he went to Batman to discuss things more in-depth, and only then started to get seriously concerned. As for Batman, that is what he regularly does. He breaks and enters and commits blatantly illegal acts like hanging someone off a building to get a confession. I would be honestly surprised if in the DCAU he has ever even been in a court room. As for the illegal construction (which yes, he has done himself) that was more of something to confirm his suspicions, and something to use to try and get a reaction out of anyone. Basically, Batman was using his usual tactics, and they finally backfired on him, badly. Something that is explored more in this chapter.

As for the Straw Hats, they DID attack Batman on sight, and broke a bunch of bones too. At that point, he sent an emergency beacon to Superman, who knows that a) Batman would know if people were in danger and not send the beacon if that was the chaos, and b) that Batman is a prideful, control freak who would only ask for help if it was absolutely necessary.

Huh, I had not considered that about the lead smoke, thanks! Will go fix that :-) Also expanded a bit more on why Superman failed to capture them, but mainly he was worried about his friend (who as I said had been badly hurt).

And yeah, there was no concrete evidence of illegal activity with Cherry Blossom Medical. Just a lot of suspicious details that were adding up, so Batman decided to do an illegal investigation. Which as I said backfired, and will be looked at more here. Neither side is perfect, which is a big part of this.

As for the Amazons, honestly I just forgot to add on that detail. Again, thanks for pointing out something I missed, and I made changes to chapter 1 to address that.

Ch. 2

Yes I did not get into detail with the thefts because frankly that chapter was long enough and wanted to save it more for later.

As for Lex Luthor, his relationship with the Straw Hats comes out more in chapter 11.

Ch. 3

Not trying to be offensive for this part, but a lot of your following concerns are basically answered with "that is how it is in the DC Animated Universe from 1992-2006." While I am making changes or highlighting issues with it, there are only so many I can handle before this become a DCAU dominated story.

For Lois and secret identities, that is how it is in the DCAU, and even then Batman's cowl was literally torn off his face right in front of her.

For why the SHP are so reluctant to involve the JL, also rationales they provide aside, it is basically "we are far too paranoid of any paramilitary group that is going on about 'Justice' to risk trusting them in any way." Plus, a timer would be used but best if no one knows to go look for a dimensional portal and find it at the very last second—which would totally happen in either world :-P Also, the League does not exactly advertise the extent of the fancy toys they possess, and since this is the DCAU they have less than they do at points in the comics.

Batman was clear in chapter 1 that there was no issue with the actual medical products, and that they were indeed revolutionary. It was what was where it was coming from, what was happening behind the scenes, and the suspicious money trails that made him suspicious. And then he got broken bones by people who self-identified as pirates and became extra-suspicious. The medicine still works great though, and perfect for getting back on his feet.

Ch. 4

That is how Batman and the DCAU roll, and while it is something that I am going to address more in this chapter, the fact is that his illegal work is why the JL is able to keep up with the criminals so well.

Something that the JL in the DCAU had to deal with was getting bad press for what they did, but they just saved the world and it was basically all forgotten afterwards. Bad public relations problems were a major strategy of Cadmus in the first two seasons of 'Justice League Unlimited.'

Batman said "one of the most powerful people," but for the rest a Guest reviewer went into more detail on that. For myself, I will just say that since this is the DCAU and where we are in the plot, basically Plastic Man is still not really well known yet. Plus he was never developed to the extent he was in the comics.

Yes, the Justice League, Diana included, are imperfect and still finding their way through Justice.

For the SHP using the media, another Guest responded to you about that. For myself, basically they are just not used to thinking like that.

Ch. 5

Yeah, the JL dropped the ball on how they met the SHP, except the latter are also sending up lots of super-villain vibes (which they technically are). And once you start thinking of people as the enemy (especially after beating on a friend), it is easy to start wondering if the whole medical company was always meant as a front, which would hardly be new for them.

Same earlier comment about using the media.

I am not touching the part about Luffy's intelligence, or possible lack of, with a ten-foot pole. People have been debating that for years, and that will just bog us down.

First, Aresia only managed to infect the USA, and while it would have started spreading globally even without her attempt to accelerate the process, she never got it to that point, so not quite millions dead. A technicality of course since even _hundreds_ would be appalling, but the death-toll was not Holocaust levels yet. Still a war crime of course, and yes there would have be socio-economic repercussions globally. That said, the Justice League get a lot of slack when they save the world, and the Amazons encompass an entire race of people with powers like Wonder Woman, so nations have to think carefully if they really want to start a fight with them. In reality the USA would probably win (barring JL intervention), but they do not know that for sure (for instance in the comics the Amazons continued to advance their technology over the millennia and had some impressive war machines). That Queen Hippolyta helped save the world also helps. And again, in the DCAU, saving the world tends to mean the JL are given a blank cheque in cleaning things up.

No worries, while a lot of your concerns are directly related to just how the DCAU is, you did help me fill in some issues and strengthen other areas which I appreciate :-) Of course, I would like to hear what parts you did enjoy so I know what I am doing right.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

.

Guest

Yeah, Plastic Man has a lot going for him! Pity he does not get expanded more in the DCAU really.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

.

Guest

Glad to see you remembering details like that! :-)

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

 **.**

BlantonM

No worries, and glad you are enjoying this :-) And yeah, it only got really good once it got to Unlimited. Also funny how with hindsight you realize that despite how the JL was to uphold the law, they also violated to staggering degrees on a regular basis!

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

.

Michael (Guest)

In all honesty, I am surprised at how well this story is going as well. Mind you, I spent a lot of time brainstorming it.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

.

musizlover2008 (Guest)

You know, that really *does* seem to sum up the Justice League. 'Protective Justice,' as they believe, to a degree, each and every life is precious. In the DCAU Darkseid is the exception, but no one is really going to contest that. Will have to see if I can weave that in somewhere! :-D Great work! ;-)

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

.

Guest

Thank you, and here is my newest chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

.

Evil Reviewer

Sorry for the delay, I got caught up in real life and my other fics. Here is my newest chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

 **-0-0-0-**

Justice

 **-0-0-0-**

Chapter 9: The Siege of Gotham

 **-0-0-0-**

 _Previously:_

 _While the rest of the Straw Hats were enjoying a Halloween party (and mutilating the Joker), Zoro, Jinbe, Brook, Franky, and Grundy robbed a bank in Britain. Unfortunately, they were attacked by the hero Shining Knight. Impressed with the man's tenacity, Zoro acknowledged Sir Justin, as well as passing onto him some wisdom, and his name and affiliation, before hospitalizing him._

 _Afterwards, Batman fruitlessly tried to investigate further. However, he never showed up at the hospital to see Shining Knight when the man woke up . . ._

 **-0-0-0-**

November 3

Muscles straining, Batgirl decked another thug down as they fought it out in the dark alley, whirling around to handle the two at her back—

"What's up?" Nightwing cheerfully waved, kneeling on the two comatose bodies.

"Doing better now," she grinned at the previous and first Robin. "About time you showed up. We were wondering if you'd forgotten us."

"Sorry, things spilled over into Blüdhaven, if not nearly as bad as here. Took me ages to beat it down to the level the cops could handle again. Where to next in our _cheery_ Gotham City?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

It did not take a genius like Nightwing to know that Batgirl, _Barbra_ , was near the end of her rope. There was a slight shake to her limbs, she had been a little slower than usual from what he had seen of that fight against common gangbangers, and it was taking her longer to regain her breath than usual. Although telling her that would only antagonize her, so he tried a different tact. "If you've got a minute, can you fill me in on some things?"

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"About the Straw Hats," he answered truthfully. He had his own sources, and while things might remain a little strained between him and Batman, they were both professional enough to keep each other in the loop about any concerns. And yes, they did care about one another. However, there were some details that were seriously starting to concern him.

"Sure," she shrugged, and pulled out her grappling gun to head to a nearby rooftop, as he followed right behind.

"So, anything specific?" she asked once they had settled down.

He snorted. "Just want to know how they're running circles around Bats. It's been two days since they put Shining Knight in the hospital, and people are getting even antsier now. But what's bugging me is why hasn't Bats found out anything concrete about them yet? World's Greatest Detective and all."

On one hand, he was glad to see she was clearly distracted from her exhaustion now. On the other, Batgirl's simultaneous resignation and frustration were ringing fresh alarm bells for Nightwing. As one of Batman's primary partners in Gotham, she was one of the few who would have any real idea what the man was up to, and what he knew. Not everything of course, because he kept a death-grip on secrets, but still enough for an informed opinion.

And she was worried.

"Well," Batgirl deflected with a light tone. "How would _you_ go about it?"

"Alright," Nightwing grinned, "have you checked the various criminal databases?"

Batgirl's raised eyebrow clearly communicated she was unamused.

"Of course you have. I'm guessing Bats went and broke into the Interpol, FBI, CIA, and NPSC files?"

"All that and more," Batgirl nodded. "Although, he had full cooperation from Japan's National Public Safety Commission, who have been doing their own search. They don't like the idea that these new, mystery criminals are going around with Japanese accents. Oh, and used a Japanese term: nakama. So yeah, it looks pretty bad. They'd rather that they'd all be Americans."

"Guess you haven't heard then," Nightwing commented, looking a little grimmer. "The guy who took out Shining Knight? Word out is he used three katana, and follows some kind of honour code. People are thinking bushido."

"Interesting," mused Batgirl as she tapped her chin. "Of course, it could all be an act. And then there's the ethnic variation amongst them, and that story from Nico Robin about her history. If it's even true."

Cocking his head, Nightwing considered her attitude. The way she was assuming this Zoro guy was just pretending to be some sort of criminal samurai – _Would that be a rōnin? Guess I should brush up_ — implied . . . "I've been assuming that there haven't been many clues to go by, but is it the opposite?" he hazarded. "So many hints that they're conflicting and confusing things?"

She grimaced. "Worse actually." Gesturing, she led him across the roof so that they were behind the extension where the door down was. It was an old habit to not be in one place too long, and the shadows here were easier for them to disappear into while having a long conversation.

Taking a deep breath, Batgirl elaborated. "Batman's found seven false trails for the whole group. Fake identities that were supposed to explain their origins, and the deeper he dug, the more fakes he found. Three were in Japan, one in America, one in China, one in Russia, and another in America that was supposed to make him think it was a fake, to lead him to one of the Japanese ones and believe he had found the 'real' one. Plus at least twenty more for the individuals we know about, of similar variety."

"Industrious," Nightwing complimented, although his eyes were narrowed. "I hadn't heard about that."

"Batman's keeping it quiet, even from the League since he doesn't have anything solid," she defended. "Yet."

"Same old Bats," he scowled, a trace of bitter anger leaking into his voice. Then he made a brief gesture to let her know she should just ignore him, and continue.

"The thing is, the biggest mistake they made, was that all the so-called evidence was too new. As in, only put in place a few months ago." Once more she quirked an eyebrow at him, except now as a challenge to figure out the significance.

"Which means they didn't really start anything big until a few months ago, or they would have done it better," he concluded, starting to understand why Bruce was keeping quiet on this. There were so many questions still that it would only confuse the issue. "So were they hiding out so deep before when something changed and forced them out into the open and into crime? Were they model citizens who suddenly got powers and skills to both evade and take on the League in a short period of time? _Or_ ," and now he looked concerned, "did they come from somewhere else, and recently?"

"Batman was already considering they might have alien technology as the basis of their medical products," Batgirl softly affirmed. "Focus on herbal remedies aside. Moreover, some of those plant weapons and explosives the long-nosed guy was using to fight Green Lantern? Batman analyzed what was left. Nothing in any botanical database, with enough weird stuff in them to make it clear that if their ancestry was ever terrestrial, they've been heavily altered. Even Poison Ivy's are normal by comparison. Well, on a genetic level at least."

Rubbing his brow, Nightwing nodded as he reached the conclusion she was leading him to. "So more human-like aliens, huh? Usually they just gear up in flashy outfits and head right off to Metropolis to talk to Superman in broad daylight, or mostly fight it out with him. That said, yeah, if they're aliens it _would_ explain a lot.

"Maybe they landed in Japan first? So why are they here in the US now? And—wait." He stopped to consider the series of thefts which, due to a blurted confession and similarity in M.O.'s, the Straw Hats were the major suspects for. "I still don't see a pattern in their thefts," he noted with a touch of respect, "and that's the point, isn't it?"

"Bingo," Batgirl confirmed. "That's what Batman thinks." He bristled a little at the idea that he was only being used to validate an idea, and promptly crushed the petty thought with a self-awareness of that flaw, and knowledge that they were both just working through the same chain. His friend had hesitated briefly as he did that, and then she continued.

"Of course, this is all speculation without any solid evidence, but yeah, them being aliens would really help explain away a lot of questions. If also raising more of them.

"We think they're stealing to get the materials to build something, for some goal, and the rest of the stuff they steal is either a smokescreen, or to be sold off for money to buy legitimate goods through other channels."

"Except we still don't know what they're really after," Nightwing pointed out. "Charming."

His expression turned a shade darker. "And since the first things Bats found were their legitimate sources of income, and shut them down, they've turned to bigger and bigger crimes to make up for it."

"Unfortunately," Batgirl sighed.

"And pushing them further and further into a corner," Nightwing finished. At this rate, the number of non-violent solutions to this mess with these supposed aliens was dropping.

An explosion rent the night a few blocks away, and wordlessly they were both leaping from the rooftop to go investigate.

War had come to Gotham City once more.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Straw Hat Hideout

"What took you so long!?" snapped Nami. "You should've been back days ago! We were worried sick once the news broke out!"

"My apologies," Jinbe exclaimed with a slight bow. "I felt it best for us to be discrete coming back, to ensure there was no pursuit." Brook and Franky nodded.

The redhead sighed, but knew that if Jinbe had urged caution, it was probably a good idea. Especially since, "It was a simple bank robbery, and you had to go and cut down a hero!" she jabbed her finger at Zoro, her teeth suddenly seeming almost like shark fangs. "And worst of all, you not only gave your name, you said you were a Straw Hat! What is WRONG with you!? This was supposed to be A LOW PROFILE theft you MORON! IN and OUT! Now thanks to you, we're international criminals!"

In spite of her burning fury, she still saw he was about to say something along the lines of, " _What else is new?_ " and cut him off. "And that's a bad thing!"

Zoro hesitated and then grimaced. Right, no letting slip that they were from another universe around the locals like Grundy.

Nami give him another menacing scowl, eyes promising future retribution, and faced said zombie.

"Oh, and by the way," Nami grinned at the large zombie in question, "Chopper's looking for you."

"For Grundy?" he asked in confusion at the sudden shift in her mood.

"Yep!" chirped the doctor in question as he skipped into the room, a big paper bag trailing behind him. "Here's the candy I promised you!"

Grundy's massive smile was somehow simultaneously the most heartwarming and most disturbing thing Nami had seen in a while.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Gotham City

Batgirl and Nightwing took it all in while still in motion as they swept down into no less than a five-way battle.

One side was a street gang they recognized, the Pig-Heads, who had broken out their emergency gear: cast-off military grade weapons smuggled to Gotham through the lucrative arms trade. They were also losing, and badly at that.

A group of unknowns were sporting heavy winter gear, and guns shooting beams of ice. They seemed to be amateurs, except most of the Pig-Head casualties still seemed to be from them.

Killer Croc was an enhanced human whose tendency for violence had led him to reject every second chance he had been given. He was also supposed to still be in jail, if not for the unfortunate fact that Blackgate Prison had suffered another major prison break just a few hours ago. Using his monstrous strength, the super-villain was fighting it out with Atomic Skull, a meta-criminal with a flaming green skull who was _not_ from Gotham.

Last but not least, the cops trying to contain the madness while getting innocents to safety. Fortunately their gunfire had forced Atomic Skull to take cover.

Batarangs hammered the group using the ice weapons, stunning them.

A veteran at fighting the Bat Family, Killer Croc immediately turned in the direction the new attack had come from, seeing only shadows. This gave Nightwing and Batgirl the chance to take out the Pig-Heads in a flurry and fury of martial arts that rattled skulls and broken arms.

"No Bat to save yah this time!" growled the supervillain.

"Who needs him?" drawled Nightwing, hefting up a little 'gift' from the gangbangers: a rocket launcher.

"Wait!" gasped Killer Croc in shock. This was not how it worked!

Fire and shockwave hammered into him, bowling him over. Dimly he realized the explosion had only hit in front of him.

"Psych," Batgirl grinned, hitting him with electrified batarangs, taking him out for good.

She kept in motion however, and stuck to the shadows –staying still was too dangerous— as she and Nightwing rushed Atomic Skull. He was so disorientated from the sudden shift that a double kick from the duo was all that was necessary to put him down.

Without taking an extra breath, the Batclan darted back to make sure their first victims were out cold.

Having done this a thousand times, the finishing kicks and punches were really anticlimactic.

"What've we got here?" Nightwing thoughtfully said, as he looked at the advanced tech.

"Looks like some of Dr. Freeze's old toys," noted Batgirl. "Except that Freeze's been gone for a while," maybe for good, "and this," gesturing around at the aftermath of the firefight, "was too shoddy for him. Also, wrong style of winter gear for him."

"They must've found an old cache of his," Nightwing grimly concluded. "Maybe stored out of town?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's all nice, but what's going on with the rest of them!?"

Both vigilantes turned to see Detectives Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya, and Officer Wilkes coming over. Unsurprisingly, the brusque Bullock was the one demanding answers. "This is as bad as it's ever gotten, including those two weeks when Bats was a no-show!"

That incident the overweight if keen-minded cop was referring to, was an incident when Batman had been under the mind control of Brainiac, albeit without the Kryptonian android knowing who he truly had in thrall. Regardless, for the two weeks Batman had been not appeared, crime had skyrocketed a chilling 15%. At this rate, it might get worse than that.

"All our questions and sources are getting us nowhere," Detective Montoya said more politely. However it was evident that she and all other police present were being worn to the bone. They all showed symptoms of sleep deprivation, and Wilkes' usually pristine uniform had a few small rips and stains.

"Hmhmm," murmured Nightwing. He looked down at one of the downed thugs. "Anything you wanna add? And since you're new, I'd advise you skip the impolite language."

Fear clear on his face, the young man –barely out of his teens— gulped loudly. "Look, alright, jobs are coming apart elsewhere. If it ain't you spandex freaks," Nightwing's foot gave him a warning nudge, "coming after us, it's the super-crooks hogging the good stuff. We're feeling the pinch, see? Hard to make a decent living!"

His audience was neither impressed nor sympathetic.

Hurrying on, "And then we get word that Gotham City's the place to be! That the super-crooks are moving out, and the rest of 'em are staying out now! So we figure that with just the Bat to worry about. . . Yeah, I'll shut up now," he trailed off at the glares.

With a grunt, Bullock turned back to the heroes. "That's pretty much what we've been hearing. Except what's shaken it all up?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sliding and gliding through familiar shadows, Batman raced to his destination before his quarry knew he was coming.

Things had always been grim in Gotham City, and now they were even worse than usual. Far worse. Not the usual petty drugs and theft, but something both new and beyond what his contingency plans had accounted for.

For years he had built up a reputation of respect and fear within Gotham, and it had spread from there. Except now and inexplicably, the crooks were streaming to the home of America's darkest pit of violence and sin. Obviously men like Two-Face, Rupert Thorne, and every other criminal in town took exception to intruders on their turf. Especially since said trespassers wanted their own piece of the pie; somehow imagining that there was plenty of profit to go around. Violence had been inevitable. It was amazing it had not blown up sooner.

Of course it was only going to go further downhill at this rate. The local gang leaders were getting increasingly territorial, and the newcomers were escalating as they tried to carve out a piece for themselves. Even the 'special' criminals who were less concerned about money than their individual psychoses, like the Riddler, had to join in, just to keep up. It would take lots of long nights to prune this all back.

At least after Batman's most recent shakedown of Penguin, who was distressed at how this newest crime spree was impacting his legitimate business interests, he had a new lead on the Straw Hats.

Internally he grimaced; clearly they had become a bigger issue than he had imagined when he had first started investigating them. At first they had appeared to be a company too altruistic for there to not be a catch, along with some suspicious finances. Honestly though, that was simply chump-change compared to Lex Corp. He had been committing discrete raids upon Luthor for months now to put all the pieces together, and the man was too quick at hiding the dirty stuff, or ensuring 'plausible deniability.'

Like he had told Clark, Batman had hoped that Cherry Blossom Medical's secrets were relatively benign, and that the League could work with them to spread their ground-breaking medical advances globally.

His father, Doctor Thomas Wayne, MD, would have done no less.

Except he had played it safe, and sent Clark to scout it out along with Lois (who had an undeniably keen mind herself), and the former had come back to him with very concerning reports. That the CEO, 'Sanji Kuroashi,' had a physique comparative to the Flash, one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and that the supposed scientist 'Dr. Mikan' reminded Clark more of an elite soldier, with unidentified yet advanced technology concealed upon her. Plus he had learnt their backgrounds were fraudulent, including Nami Mikan's doctorate. Did that fit the bill of the simple, generous company they portrayed themselves as?

Not to mention the sheer number of super criminals whose powers were the results of shady experiments to enhance people, and here was at least one secret meta-human running the most advanced medical company in the world, along with everything else thrown in?

Honestly, he had investigated people over less, usually discovering nasty surprises that would have cost many lives if allowed to succeed.

So he had gone to discretely investigate. Maybe find some blackmail like that illegal underground hideout while he was at it. To use if necessary.

Instead he had found self-styled pirates, been discovered without his realizing it, and received several broken bones.

Things had gone downhill from there.

Still, he remained confident that if Cherry Blossom Medical really had been as altruistic as they claimed, they would not have been hiding anything on that scale.

Now the evidence pointed towards the possibility that they were actually aliens, which only muddied up their potential motives even further. While he was still unable to find a pattern to their thefts, nor figure out which ones were merely to mislead him, he was confident their intentions were anything but benign. After all, if they were, they could simply just approach Superman, a fellow alien, to get whatever help they needed. Or Green Lantern the space-cop. No, there was definitely something sinister going on.

That aside, during the whole nightmare with the rogue Amazon, Princess Diana and Hawkgirl had worked alongside them, the skeleton Brook, Soul King, had said, 'As per our Captain's orders, we're not even supposed to be in Gotham City.' Why?

Especially since there was so much concentrated here that they had been stealing elsewhere. There were several multi-billionaires who chose to inhabit the city for one. Not to mention the numerous corporations that produced advanced technology, while taking advantage of the desperate labour force, bribable safety inspectors, and other sources of corruption. And finally of course, there was his own Wayne Industries, which managed to be both ethical and cutting edge. Various other international gangs took advantage of this, so why not them?

He had a gut feeling that it was connected to the perception that there was a sudden vacuum in Gotham's underworld. Moreover, some of the local super-criminals were indeed lying disturbingly low, despite how new competition was marching brazenly around, which was out of character for them.

Although they _were_ right about the Joker.

 _Except it started before he left for New Orleans_ , he reflected. _Is that why he went? Or just to mess with me as I searched through the city for whatever Halloween stunt he was going to pull?_

Regardless, he had a mission to complete.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

It was almost painful to take the time to do this, while his partners and protégés, and the police force, were out fighting to stop all the widespread robberies and violence, yet Batman knew this could be his best lead.

Something had happened to change the calculus in the underworld, and the only wildcard factors he could imagine responsible for this were the Joker (who would not have been in New Orleans away from the 'fun'), Lex Luthor or Ra's al Ghul (both of whom were too orderly, and too much of a control freak to set off something like this), or the Straw Hats (simply because Batman still had no grasp upon their motives). He was hoping that his target should shed some light on the situation.

Stalking through the 'abandoned' warehouse, he silently snuck up behind a little girl, sitting on a high chair, looking over some maps of Gotham.

"Mary Dahl," he rasped.

Jumping up in shock, the blonde child spun around to face him, hands grasping for a weapon he had already discretely taken from her.

It was her eyes that betrayed the truth of who she was: an adult.

Throughout her life she suffered from systemic hypoplasia, an extremely rare medical condition that prevented her body from physically aging. So while she appeared five years old, she was really in her thirties. Once an actress, the disparity between how old she looked and actually was, had driven her insane, and into a life of crime under the alias 'Baby-Doll.' She had recovered and taken up a regular job. Unfortunately, once more what made her 'different,' how people treated her, made her willingly and violently lash out a society that misunderstood and shunned her.

Worst of all, she was willing to destroy Gotham itself in the process.

"I see you got out of Blackgate Prison. I hope you're behaving yourself," he coldly demanded. She had in fact successfully escaped several weeks ago –her childlike appearance made it harder for people to appreciate how resourceful she truly was— and had laid low ever since. Batman had been searching for her, except she had done a surprisingly good job of staying hidden until now.

"I-I am!" she gasped.

"Then why are you seeking out the Straw Hats?"

Still shaken she tried to answer, and he switched topics to throw her further off, intensifying his aura of menace. "What do you know about them?"

"Uhm, I," she hesitated, before sagging down. "I wanted to join them. That's why I broke out, and learnt all I could about them."

"Anything you want to share?"

Cagey now that she might have an opening, she promptly answered, "They're the reason the crooks are flooding here."

As he had suspected. Still, "Impossible. If they were giving that sort of orders, I'd have heard about it."

Shifting about to make herself look more harmless, she awkwardly looked to the side, trying to make herself look more 'adorable.' "You're not going to like it. At all."

"Try me."

"There's a lot of rumours spreading around about them now, because one of them, or one of the newbies they've recruited, said something to one of their contacts. Next thing you know, everyone's hearing it and passing it on. Until next thing you know people're flooding here."

"With the original rumour changing from person to person," he deduced. "And spreading more and more different rumours in the process."

"Yeah, I tracked down the first one, but the word on the street is that if they've got guys who can take down members of the Justice League, then that means that sooner or later they'll either be trying for world domination, or taking over _all_ the gangs, and they say they don't want the first."

 _Interesting, if reassuring_. If _it's accurate_ , thought the Dark Knight. Outwardly, he maintained his intimidating silence, trusting Dahl to hurry to fill the void.

Sure enough, she gushed out, "And since they've knocked off a few rivals, or the powered crooks who've annoyed them, people are starting to get real antsy."

While he hid any reaction, internally Batman was furious he had failed to consider this. When Killer Frost had been turned in to the authorities by the Straw Hats, he had only considered it in terms of the power displayed to take her down. He had limited himself to the perspective of law enforcement, failing to see how other criminals would see it, particularly meta-criminals. Given how they were all 'freethinkers' who were 'shunned' and 'ostracized' by a society that 'refused to accept them,' as opposed to the fact they preyed on those weaker than them, there was a loose sense of brother and sisterhood to them. Obviously that did not mean there was any 'honour among thieves,' yet they still tended to leave each other alone, unless their interests directly conflicted. After all, the Justice League and law enforcement were after them indiscriminately, so they were in it together. However, if a new player joined the board and showed a willingness to pick them off, then their choices were either fight back against a group who, as Dahl said, could clash with the Justice League better than anyone else had, or head to richer prospects.

'Richer prospects' like Batman's city apparently.

"So once they learnt that the Straw Hats were staying out of Gotham, people started thinking that if they went there it would be better for 'em. So much crime going on that surely there's enough for all, y'know. And once some started doing it, more followed thinking it must be a good idea after all. Of course once they got here, they got caught up in this big ol' gang war."

Yeeesssss. . . It was all coming together nicely now. Except for how the Straw Hats were perceived by the underworld though, there were no big surprises.

The only question . . .

His voice like ice, "The rumour?"

She fidgeted, "Uhm, right."

" . . . "

"Look," Dahl awkwardly said, "I'm not a hundred percent sure I've tracked down the original one. I mean, it's all rumours, y'know? But I found this one guy. . ."

She let out a deep breath.

"Apparently the Straw Hats actually were planning to come here for one of the science labs, and then their boss overheard a guy say he got sick eating spoiled meat in a hot dog he bought in Gotham, and he declared they were to never, ever come here. Yeah. . ."

Batman blinked as his mind rebelled against this answer.

Against the horrific possibilities.

No, there were only two really.

First, this, his city, his _home_ , being torn apart by war, was all just a _demonstration_. That this new player on the board had let it be known to America's criminal fraternity, "I'm staying out of Gotham City, so it's all yours," and they had _come_. That despite all his years as a hero and creating a shroud of protective fear, they had still decided it was safer and more profitable to come to _his_ territory to fight it out. That it was better than staying out of Gotham where they would have the Straw Hats as competition.

A simple display meant to showcase how powerless Batman, and by extension the rest of the Justice League, really were.

Or, second, it really was all born from a whim. And if so, if they could set off all this chaos so easily, than how was he to predict them? How was the Justice League's top strategist and detective supposed to get ahead of the Straw Hats?

Then he took a deep breath, clenched his fists one last time, and straightened up.

No, he was not done yet.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Straw Hat Hideout

Luffy's eyes were hard as he watched the news alone.

After the whole incident at Halloween, Monkey D. Luffy had started keeping track of the news for once. Quietly of course, in the room reserved for those who might want to watch their shows alone (like Sanji watching beach volleyball and drooling), because he knew his friends would be concerned by him paying an active interest, as opposed to listening to whatever Nami said as she read the paper if he was around. Concerned because they would know he was upset by something.

Violence had broken out in Bad Meat City, and after asking Robin about it, he knew it was because other criminals were trying to stay out of him and his crew's way.

" _. . ._ Why is this happening?" he muttered aloud.

He knew people thought he was overly simple, while he just thought people were trying to make things overly complicated. People lived and then they died, and what mattered in-between was if they believed in something and were willing to strive for it. Being alive and alone was hell, so find those you cared for and cared for you in turn, and protect them with your life. And always strive to eat twice (or even better, three or four times) your body weight in meat. The rest tended to be incidentals that people got all bent out of shape over while insisting that he _should_ care about them.

As if a man should let others dictate what he cares about, or how he should act.

That said, ever since Luffy had set sail and taken upon the responsibilities of Captain, he had been increasingly forced to focus on more issues, and _think_ about those 'incidentals.' Zoro and Rayleigh had worked hard to hammer home that it was his job to be open-minded about that.

Coming to this world had been a **_BIG_** issue.

Possibly the biggest.

When they had come here, they had all been in the middle of a _war_ , with so many friends, and their friends' friends, counting on them to come back. To say nothing of his nakama's own dreams that could never be fulfilled here. Plus, it was hard to become the Pirate King without the One Piece.

So the solution was simple:

1) Get back home. By **_any_** means necessary.

2) Do **_not_** let people from this freaky, complicated world follow them back, or know about it. Nothing good would come from it.

Quickly they had realized they would need vast resources to accomplish their goals, and their robbing had escalated far, far beyond anything they had ever done before. What they ran off with from Skypiea was chump change in comparison. Although in fairness, they _had_ tried doing it legally! Unfortunately those methods were apparently too exposed, and invited unwanted attention. Only a few of those avenues were left now. Besides, pirates used force to take what they wanted.

What was different from all those times before, was now the consequences of their actions were being splayed out on the news for all to see. Back home the World Government tried to pretend everything was perfect, or at least lie that it was not as bad as it sounded. Here, the news guys actually liked to focus on all the yucky stuff for some reason.

A part of him knew stuff like this happened back home, like those rants from obnoxious jailer back in Impel Down who kept getting back up no matter how many times Luffy hit him. About the consequences of releasing so many of the worst prisoners to do whatever they wanted. People got hurt by what the Straw Hats did. People unconnected to the marines or pirates.

He just rarely thought about it because it did not mean he was going to stop being a pirate –not like the government would just let him be by now either. He was not like Vivi who thought she could save the day without anyone getting hurt; that was what a hero tried to do.

He was no hero, he was a pirate.

However, that did not mean he enjoyed knowing people were being hurt by his and his crew's actions. Those who were innocent of doing anything bad to those he cared about. Even if he did not know them.

Most of his nakama had probably figured this would happen, except they had largely kept quiet. It was not like they could just stop trying to get back home. They knew just as well as him that they did not _belong_ here, and they were _needed_ back home! In Wano! Where Traffy and the rest of their friends were gearing up for a _war_ with Kaido!

Sighing, he massaged his forehead which was hurting from all this thinking.

As Captain, his foremost duty was to his crew, so yes, it was not like they could just stop. But . . . maybe they could think up some other ways to get home without any more damage to others? Or at least no more than necessary. Something like Chopper's Cherry Blossom Medical Company, or putting the pant-tents or whatever on the public domain –he had no idea what that meant, only that the others seemed to think it was good news.

Not that he or the others had any idea of how they would go about doing that.

"Luffy?"

He glanced up to see Maureen come in, looking much healthier and well-fed than when he had first met her. "Yeah, Mauri?"

(Ever since she had started getting better, he had felt safe to give her an easier name).

Smiling at the nickname, she glanced at the cup of water beside him. "Do you want some ice cubes?" she eagerly asked.

"Sure!" Luffy grinned back, while muting the TV volume, glad to give her the opportunity.

With a twitch of her fingers, there was now some blobs of ice floating in his drink.

"You're getting good at that!" he complimented, picking up his instantly cooled glass for a sip.

"Thanks!" she giggled back.

Turning her attention to the news, Maureen caught the rolling headline about how Batman was apparently incapable of handling the drastically rising Gotham crime rate.

"Luffy?"

"Yes?"

"Uhm," and she awkwardly looked at her feet, "are Batman and the Justice League bad guys? I mean, I hear Volcana talk about Superman sometimes, and Poison Ivy for Batman, and, uhm, they don't sound like what I always hear on the news. . ."

Her head snapped up as Luffy ruffled her hair. He was only a few years older than her, and could act far more childish, yet right now she felt drawn into the certainty of his expression. The hidden and sometimes weird wisdom he held. With level eyes, he simply said, "Heroes are very important. I love heroes myself. It's up to you however to decide for yourself if someone's a hero or not."

Blushing a little, she nodded resolutely. In that sense, Luffy, Volcana, Nami, Sanji, and the rest were heroes too!

Glancing back at the news, Luffy gave another sigh, and turned it off.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Gotham City

Reasserting himself, Batman narrowed his gaze further at Dahl as she seemed to be inching towards a concealed weapon. As if struck, she snatched back her hand.

"Why were you seeking them out?" he growled, wanting to distract her from his momentary weakness.

Surprisingly, she barked out a harsh laugh. "You have to ask!? They were running the most advanced medical company in the world before your ruined it! What if they can cure me!?"

"Cure you?" and it took considerable will to hide his shock.

"Duh! I mean, I was a little hesitant at first, because if he's calling himself Dr. Chopper, then you just know the odds are even that underneath his fury complexion is a bloody, sadistic surgeon." Dalh stopped for a deep breath. "But I just can't take it anymore! And maybe, just maybe, with people as different as them, I'll find kindred spirits!"

In an instant it all clicked together for Batman.

Baby-Doll, Mary Dahl, had no one in the world. The one time she had tried to find a friend in someone 'different,' also ostracized from society for their criminal background as she was (and in all fairness, hers had begun from a genuine mental breakdown), it had ended in disaster. She had put what remained of her trust in Killer Croc, thinking they had a genuine connection, and he had betrayed her. Unlike her, he was not looking for a place where he belonged.

Something that the Straw Hat Pirates, with all of the powerful misfits they already knew were members, could offer.

 _Like Volcana who's disappeared? Or Harley Quinn after they crippled the Joker? Who else would be interested?_

 _Not just for a place to belong, but for another chance at life . . ._

Moving down that thought-chain, it was also clear he had been too hasty in his earlier conclusion while talking to Dahl.

 _The meta-criminals don't look at them with just fear, it's_ respect _too!_

 _Power, wealth, protection, they can provide all of that, yet unlike someone like Luthor or most of the rest, they'll promise a place to be part of. To be safe and accepted!_

Not universally of course, some like Luthor would conclude they were either overly sentimental, or running a scam. The regular street crooks or gangs would simply not care. Yet running through his mental psychological profiles of every super-powered threat, Batman knew too many of them would still be intrigued. A group who could possibly make 'honour among thieves' _work_!?

Events were shifting faster than the Justice League could keep up. So far.

While criminals had to pay a penalty in order for there to be both a deterrent and Justice, was it working for _super-_ criminals?

He remembered how he had torn into Clark about his criminally negligent attempt to imprison Volcana, and now wondered what would have happened if he had asked her to join him fighting crime, or suppressing flames for firefighters. A second chance perhaps, while working to publicly rehabilitate her? While risky as she obviously had serious trust issues, if she had been given a strong, _genuine_ , display of it in turn when he did not have to, it probably would have been all that was needed to help give her the necessary push to becoming good. And everyone would know Superman would remain true to his promise.

She would have had the chance to be a hero and live a better life. Whatever she may have chosen in the end, everyone she had dealt with before had never actually _given_ her a choice.

Many other villains would try to abuse this sort of opportunity of course, and others would (briefly?) relapse, but Batman knew what Clark would say:

That if you give people a shot at being better, enough of them will take it to make it worth the effort.

All of this flashed through his mind before the woman before him could notice.

"You're right," he admitted to her. "Maybe they could."

Her eyes brightened with hope. "Are you going to let me go then?"

"There may be an alternative."

Instantly her eyes hardened in suspicion. "What?" she ground out.

"Wayne Enterprises has begun making great strides themselves since the Straw Hat's patents went onto the public domain. But you'll have to find out in prison if they can help you."

She hesitated for a moment, before nodding in acceptance.

This . . . whatever it was he was considering, Batman knew he had to discuss with the others. With the authorities. However it was becoming clear that at the very least, they had to take another good, looooong look at what the current system was doing to rehabilitate the convicts. Maybe some fresh perspectives would help . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

"Situation," Batman curtly ordered.

"Good to see you too," grinned Nightwing, having sensed the man's approach.

"Oh how I missed the egos," groaned Batgirl melodramatically. Addressing her boss more seriously, "It's only getting worse, we're barely staying ahead of this. Did you get any clues?"

"I confirmed what we already knew, that the word got out that there was less competition in Gotham. Now I know who and how." Before he could elaborate, a bundle of joy joined them.

"Hey guys, guess what?" Beaming, the fifteen-year old Robin, a.k.a. Tim Drake, hopped up to join them.

"What?" Nightwing asked with a grin.

"We've got back-up?"

Batman shot his ward a sharp look. "Who?" All of his protégés were accounted for. Maybe Selina? He had also been hearing rumours about a new vigilante dubbing herself 'Huntress.'

"Me."

Regal and tall, Wonder Woman descended down beside the Bat Family.

.

.

.

Breaking the stunned silence, Nightwing leaned over to Batgirl to sotto whisper, "This is gonna get awkward."

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" bit out Batman. His face was stone cold and impassive, except for the slight furrow of his brow over narrowed eyes. The infamous 'Batglare.' "I've told all of you before, I don't need your help in Gotham!" Even Green Lantern had asked for permission to come to here. This place was too much of a powder keg otherwise!

Unimpressed, she crossed her arms. "Have you seen the news reports coming out of your own city? Superman told us to leave it to you, but honestly this is getting ridiculous. Besides, you never showed up to see Sir Justin in the hospital. Not that we were worried, we know you can take care of yourself," she quickly assured him, "except that told us it really was bad if you passed up the chance to interview him more on what happened."

Coughing into her fist, Batgirl took the more diplomatic approach. "Wonder Woman—"

"Call me Diana," she warmly told the younger heroes.

"—Diana, there is a good reason Batman doesn't want super-humans in Gotham. We've got to show the people here that they don't need powers to make a difference; that ordinary people can do it too."

"And most people don't have access to the resources and wealth Batman must have, to be as good as he is!" protested Diana. "Don't get me wrong," she apologized to the increasingly menacing figure, "you're absolutely incredible at what you do, you've accomplished more than any other 'normal' man that I've ever heard of."

"Oh, he's not normal," deadpanned Nightwing. His smirk made it perfectly clear he was enjoying himself.

"Gotham's not like anywhere else," Batman snapped again. "It's a warren of madmen with a diverse array of dangerous weapons. Just rushing in will get even you killed! I don't need any help!"

"Superman said you'd say that too. Unfortunately, there's more to this city than just you. Besides, I'm a princess," she flatly told him. "I go where I want."

"Really," and now there was a mocking tone to his voice. "Is that how it is?"

"When lives are in danger, yes."

"Having a meta-human here will force the villains to escalate!"

"You don't know that!"

"Ahem," Nightwing broke in, stepping in between with a palm facing either of them. "Alright, look, this is getting us nowhere. Bats, she's right. On a long-term basis, letting people think that the heroes will just swoop in and save the day will _not_ fix Gotham. Except it's only getting worse out there, with no sign of improvement. Cops are getting hurt, with some pretty close calls, and even we're all getting worn out. Sooner or later, someone's going to make a mistake. Besides, you said it yourself that whatever is causing this is coming from outside of Gotham. Who is it anyways?"

Recognizing the blatant attempt to change the topic, nonetheless Batman answered. "The Straw Hats. They put out the word that they were uninterested here, and their rising fame spooked gangs into coming here, which made everyone else think it might be a good idea."

"Them again!" barked Diana in frustration. While she might respect the good they had done, the harm the pirates were also causing was swiftly becoming too much.

"Hey, hey, let's worry about Gotham for now," Robin quickly interjected. He had been keeping quiet during this, knowing that they needed the help. Unfortunately he had belatedly realized that his adoptive father was even more upset about this than anticipated.

"Very well then," and Diana relaxed her crossed arms so her fists dropped to her sides. "Are you going to let me help, or am I doing this on my own?"  
For over a minute Batman only stared at her, before turning around. "Watch your back, and follow my lead. Do exactly as I tell you."

"Hey, Diana," she turned to look at the man Superman had described as being Batman's oldest protégé, and adoptive son. "He's got too much pride to show people he cares about them, he's a melodramatic brooder like that."

"He doesn't overtly show he cares at least," Batgirl hastily corrected.

"But he does," Robin chipped in.

"So if he keeps trying to push you away," grinned Nightwing, "then that means he's worried he's getting soft by liking you. Just push back."

The man in question refused to respond in any way, while she just smiled. "Thanks for the advice." With that, she flew off after her colleague.

"I like her!" Nightwing grinned, while Batgirl glared at him.

"You _do_ realize with that advice you've guaranteed he'll be insufferable for months, right?" she hissed.

"Eh, he's spending more and more time with the League anyways, and she can take it."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Grinning widely, the Riddler took in the sight of his gang setting down C4 explosives to break open the bank vault. This was one of the few remaining intact ones in Gotham, only the thickness of the doors keeping it protected.

Not for lack of trying though. There had been four other failed attempts these last two weeks, including one that ended with the bank manager and four hostages killed when said manager failed to cough up the combination. Amateurs, those three-bit newcomers had been too sloppy to prevent the alarm going off, sealing up the vault beyond even a mere branch manager's ability to open up. Especially a _Gotham_ branch manager; his head office had been too savvy to make it so he could do that. And equally uncaring about the fate of their employees.

Whistling and twirling his cane, Riddler went over his plan again. The money from the heist would satisfy his men, and fund the rest of his work. Meanwhile, the real prize lay in certain scientific documents he knew were secured within, as well as the perfect opportunity to leave a clue for Batman about his newest criminal masterpiece! A puzzle that would finally stump the man, proving once and for all who was the brightest!

Speaking of which, he casually took in the sight of the front lobby again.

Guards covering the doors with machine guns, while to trip up any nosey Bats, they had littered the floor in front of the doors and windows with marbles painted in the same colour of the floor. A simple trap to ruin a do-gooder's balance when they rushed in and slipped on them, yet also another clue he had generously provided to his true plan.

More of his gang had automatic weapons were trained on the hostages, and small squads were patrolling around the build—

Breaking down through the ceiling, Wonder Woman landed between the hostages and their kidnappers. Guns barked on reflex and she deflected them with her bracelets, the flare of sparks and rebounding bullets making the thugs flinch back and briefly stop shooting.

More than enough.

Her fists hammered them through the air towards Riddler and his bodyguards, knocking them down.

"What is—get her!" cried Riddler in shock. What was _she_ doing here! This was _Batman's_ turf—it clicked together. _And my guys on the floor above would've seen her coming! She's a distraction!_

Sure enough, the guards by the doors and windows were already silently down, and the rest of the infernal Bats were upon him, leaping a path through the marbles. Doubtless the same thing that had happened to the ones upstairs.

Batman's fist was the last thing Riddler saw for several hours.

 **!JUSTICE!**

As the night continued, Wonder Woman and Batman split off from the rest, and they continued to hunt. Thankfully, things were finally calming down, and according to reports from an 'Agent A,' Commissioner Gordon agreed.

"Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, head back in to rest," the Dark Knight ordered over his radio.

" _Roger_ ," Nightwing answered. " _Don't forget you're human too, and follow your own advice though_." His tone was not unkind though.

Diana was about to say something when Batman held up a hand for silence. Used to the gesture by now, she stepped back from him for cover to stay low.

Peering down from the rooftop, she saw a couple of young men and women huddled together and briskly walking down the street. _Why in Hera's name are they out so late when the city's like this!?_ Then she registered how they were all wearing the same store uniform, that she was certain provided twenty-four-hour service. _They must've just come off shift, and are hoping for safety in numbers. Except . . ._

Sure enough, she caught sight of a burly figure lurking in the shadows of an alleyway just ahead of them.

With eerie silence, Batman fired his grappling gun to cross the street overhead, and land on the adjacent roof. Ducking down into the darkness, he disappeared from sight.

Relaxing, Diana knew what was about to happen.

The young men and women, teenagers really, passed by the mouth of the alley . . . and nothing happened. Not a single disturbance. Unaware of their close call, the teens hurried inside one of the apartment buildings that one of them evidently lived in.

 _They never even knew_ , she proudly thought. _Without witnesses, glory, or reward, because none of those things matter. Because people_ shouldn't _have to live their lives in fear._

 _Shouldn't grow up thinking it's part of life_.

With slightly more noise than her teammate, she floated over to join him, as he was searching through the perp's wallet. "Louis Franz," he said as she arrived. "Fresh from Metropolis. Should've stayed with Superman."

"Apparently," she agreed as she appraised the unconscious thug. Given the presence of a nasty looking knife, she held no sympathy for his condition. That said, she had examined Batman's victims before, and this one seemed more roughed up than normal. More than such a pathetic looking lowlife warranted.

Hmmm . . . It was one more piece to a puzzle that had gradually been starting to concern her and Superman. The other Leaguers did not see it, except now she wondered if she had been missing other hints. He obviously still had it under control, but still. . .

Batman suddenly cocked his head to the side, before stepping out of the alley, dragging Mr. Franz behind him, wrists tied up by his own belt.

As if on cue, a police car pulled up around the corner, and slowed to a stop when they saw their hometown hero.

"Batman," one officer said as he stepped out of the car. "Got someone for us?"  
"Attempted mugging," was all he said, before taking back up to the rooftops. Stunned, Diana stared after him for a few seconds before belatedly following him.

Used to this behaviour, the police settled their new 'guest' into the back of the car. They did not even bother switching on handcuffs.

 **!JUSTICE!**

November 4

Early morning

Wayne Manor

"Well, I must say, I'm glad things have settled down," said Alfred. Dick, Tim, and Barbra were all in his little kitchen with their costumes off. The oldest member of their little family was baking them a hearty late dinner/early breakfast.

"Same here," sighed Tim. "Say, what're you cooking? Is that a new book?"

"Why yes, Timothy. It came very highly recommended, and I must say, I am impressed with its recipes. Although I haven't heard of the author before, one 'Zeff Baratie.' No matter, I'm sure you will all enjoy this one; lots of protein, energy, and vitamins."

"Hah!" scoffed Dick. "Make sure to give some to Bruce then, he's gonna need it more than we are!"

"And just what are you implying?" Barbra asked with a light glare.

"Well," grinned Dick, "didn't you see the tension between 'em? C'mon, Princess Diana came all the way here to help out, and even made him listen to reason. _I_ approve."

"Certainly healthier than some of the other women he's been interested in," Tim chipped in.

"Ugh, yeah," agreed Dick. "I sometimes have nightmares of Talia al Ghul showing up at the doorstep with a baby in tow."

"Do you really think Bruce wants a girlfriend?" huffed Barbra.

"Ah, he doesn't want to think he wants one," Dick cheekily replied. "He'll list off all these dumb reasons, like," he lowered his voice in a parody of Batman's, "I have too many issues, and I need to brood all the time."

Despite themselves, Tim and Barbra both quirked a smile. Alfred remained impassive, ready to intervene if necessary.

"Well," mused Tim, "he's probably thinking dating within teams never works out. No fraternization and all. That's kinda reasonable." Neither Dick nor Barbra looked at each other.

Coughing, Dick focused himself, and then sighed, "Or something stupid like his enemies would go after her to get to him, or something equally stupid." Then he started snickering. "Of course, after tonight I bet the crooks won't be going after Batman because they'll be afraid _she'll_ come after them!"

Now both his fellow heroes were definitely amused, and Alfred was happy to see the tension draining away.

"Yeah," Tim nodded. "Now they know Bruce really does have the League at his back. I want to see Superman beat up Bane again!"

They all had a good laugh. It was frankly criminal that Tim had failed to take pictures of that!

Seeing how they were all fully settling down now, Alfred began serving the mouth-watering omelet, while draping it in thick, rich sauce. "What I think," he calmly said, "is that if Master Bruce _does_ harbour feelings for her, for her to reciprocate, he must first work this out on his own."

". . . Whelp, sorry Alfred," Dick sadly said, "no grandchildren for you."

"I daresay, I'd be shipping them off to 'Big Brother Richards' every weekend," the butler dryly rejoined. He was highly tempted to make a comment about great-grandchildren, but there was no reason to frighten the children out of his kitchen.

"I'll be studying abroad during the diaper years," smirked Barbra.

"Mind if I join?" Tim chuckled.

"Hilarious," deadpanned Dick, before grinning again, and serving himself a generous portion. "Well, we've done all we can for Gotham tonight, today, whatever, so let's eat up."  
"Hear, hear!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"So, was my performance . . . satisfactory?" Diana dryly asked.

The two members of the Justice League were standing on an empty roof, looking at the sun slowly poke over the horizon behind thick smog. Things had finally settled down.

"Yes," grunted Batman.

"Good. Hopefully, it'll settle down a bit more now that you've had the chance to cover more ground. When do you think we'll see you on the Watchtower next?"

"Not for a while," he answered. "I've got some things to take care of here still. Investigations I can't put off."

She stared at him for a little bit, before shaking her head. "You've been acting more and more irritable and aloof lately, and not just tonight. I'm sorry if I bruised your pride coming here, but you can't hold yourself responsible for everything. That's why we're a team: we _help_ one another."

"And it was appreciated," he grudgingly acknowledged. "There will be some backlash of course, but nothing I can't handle with a little preparation."

"Thanks heaps," she muttered, before realizing she was getting off topic. "So why the bad attitude then? And I'm serious, Superman's noticed it too. Something's been bothering you lately. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said without even facing her. "And even if there was something, it'd be none of your concern."

She glared at him at that. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

Silence.

Her fists clenched with the desire to just shake the man until he answered her, except she knew that was not the right way. So she took a quiet breath to cool her emotions, and tried to figure it out. She did it aloud just to provoke him. "It's not just Gotham nearly being torn apart, and me coming to help. If it was, you'd have resisted more. Honestly, it went alright. For all broody you get, the cops here sure are supportive of you—"

He made no visible response, yet still she stopped herself.

"You get the support from the law that we don't have outside of your city," she teased out. "Here, if you show up with a beaten up man and said he was a mugger, they believe you and cart him off to jail. Except that's not how it works elsewhere. Green Lantern and Superman gave me, J'onn, and Shayera a long talk about the legal systems in Man's World, and how important it is that we cooperate with the law, even when they're being stupid about it. Or having different ones for different countries or states. When they should just believe us. So when you go sneaking around for evidence for League cases, you do it discretely, without letting the authorities know.

" _And_ , Nightwing said you try to keep yourself distant from those you care for."

"Those have nothing to do with each other," the Dark Knight disdainfully told her.

He didn't even try to deny it or keep his silence. Maybe he was more tired then he was letting on.

"Don't they?" she grinned. "I think it's why you decided to be a part-timer. So you could do the," she made quotation marks with her fingers, "dirty work," she stopped, "and the League could disavow you if needed."

He twitched, which in any other man would have been a full-blown flinch.

To his dying day he would deny it, yet she still saw it.

Mercilessly she continued. "Most of the time we're dealing with alien invasions, mad scientists, or super criminals. Nice and straightforward, and in public. It's the complicated stuff, with all those annoying 'shades of grey,' as you call them, when we need to present solid evidence. When it has to be admissible in court, procured by legal means, or else the crook could just walk free. I think Superman called it Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, or something like that. When that happens, a certain someone is sneaking around, breaking and entering to steal the clues to lead us to a so-called legitimate trail."

"Don't delude yourself," rasped Batman. "I'm a part-timer because I'm not a team player. Besides, we aren't part of a government organization, so, UN support or not, we're a vigilante organization. Sooner or later, something'll happen, and we'll have to disband anyways. And a self-righteous attitude like yours is _guaranteed_ to bring that about!"

"Lies."

"What?" Now he was truly stunned by her arrogance. For a member of the League. . . Or was it because she was royalty . . . ?

"Oh, stop," Wonder Woman sighed. "I didn't mean you're lying about me maybe being too self-righteous." She hesitated as if remembering another conversation, before plowing on. "And while maybe that's not the right word, that's certainly not what you think about the League."

Walking up to him, the princess tapped the bat symbol on his chest. "You go on about being the night and vengeance, but I know you're really about justice. That you believe in it."

"So you're an expert on Man's World now?" His voice was dry enough to drain a lake.

"No, I just know you. You believe in the League, and are feeling guilty about yourself for all the troubles we've been having lately. That you didn't manage to handle the Straw Hats right. That it led to the PR disaster we're still dealing with, because we can't erase the fact it was a _medical company_ , _a helpful_ one, we took down."

"There was no _we_ ," he growled, before cutting himself off.

Gently, she put a hand on his shoulder. "We're in this together."

Shrugging her off, Batman turned away.

"They don't believe in Justice you know."

"The Straw Hats? I heard your debriefing," he said without turning back.

"Uh huh, and what Shayera said is still true. We're doing what we believe in to make the world a better place. And no matter what other people think, what they label us as, that will never change."

"Go too far," he warned, "and we'll be no different than the scum we lock up. If our public image is tarnished enough, then there are those in the government who'll say we should be treated like criminals too—and there _are_ powerful people who already want that!"

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "People get a thrill tearing down heroes, proving that they're no better than they are. Vindicating their own failings. And now that we're losing battles, people are starting to question if we really _are_ what they imagine us to be!"

Her bright smile cut him off. What was so funny!?

 _Really_ , Wonder Woman thought. _He talks about us as a_ _group more than anyone,_ _and then in the next breath still tries to deny his place in our_ _midst._

Leaning against a nearby gargoyle, she shook her head. "We don't need to prove to the world we're heroes, we _know_ we are."

"It's not that simple!"

She shrugged. "I'm a warrior. I came here to make the world a better place, be it by words or fighting. I get what you're saying about public image, but that's not going to stop me from doing what's right. And," she cocked an eyebrow, "that includes keeping you from doing anything self-sacrificing like telling the League to disavow you. No one would believe it anyways."

To his surprise, she then took a deep breath, and then sat down to lean against the wall beside him, silently looking up at the stars, faint against the pollution and rising sun.

Realizing she was working through some thoughts of her own now, Batman took a look around for any observers, before sitting down to join her.

Giving a sad smile, Diana softly spoke to him. "Believe it or not, after meeting the Straw Hats, I've been thinking about this a lot."

Looking up to the heavens, Wonder Woman enjoyed a rare break in the clouds over Gotham to see the stars overhead. "'Hero' . . . a word people associate with a pure image. Totally pure. Chivalrous. Perfect. Flawless. Bringing hope. A hero gets it right every time, and always saves the day, while always making the right choices. Every time. An impossible dream some would say. And of course, the definitions of 'hero' and 'villain' shift according to the current mood, and how people chose to present and perceive them.

That it is dictated. . . When I first came to Man's World, I looked into what your people thought of your Greek 'myths,' and found what you thought of Hercules."

Grimacing, Batman knew he had to speak up at that. "Children in Man's World are raised to believe him as a hero, especially thanks to silly movies like Disney. While he's one of the greatest villains in Amazonian history. He committed crimes against your people that would horrify anyone today."

"But not as much back then. He was a killer too. Many of those who were regarded as a hero, killed and plundered. My mother and the rest of my sisters . . . have killed, when I don't. And they are _my_ heroes. My family. No hero is without flaws."

Batman's eyes flashed as he remembered all the dead.

 _Because of all the times he had gotten it wrong. Been too late. Only able to give them some semblance of dignity. And did not know how to comfort the survivors. Vengeance was all he could give._

 _. . . And sometimes Justice._

Heedless, she finished. "Even when we were forced to kill off thousands of the Imperium, nearly destroying their entire species, it was because they left us no choice. It was them or everyone else on Earth. And they had already committed genocide against the Martians, and others before."

"So you think what we're doing is fruitless?" Batman neutrally asked. "Treating the symptoms, while the cause is beyond us?"

Smirking, Diana shook her head. "I don't know what the solution is, but I'm not here because I think I'll fail. That's not who I am, and that's not who you are either."

For an eternity he stared at her, part of him struggling to truly open up what he thought of heroes. The ones he still believed in, and had helped shape him. On Good and Evil. Instead, he clamped down on them. Harshly he reprimanded himself. _She's not someone I can just bare all that to_.

"If you don't know what the answer is, if what makes a hero is so fluid, what do you think we should do?" He swept an arm to encompass Gotham. "The board is shifting, and just as we are asking these questions, so are others."

"Right now," she proudly said, "we're handling the obvious threats, like giant monsters and alien invasions. 'Symptoms' that are necessary for us to deal with. And providing an example to show the world how to save itself."

"That's more Superman's role than mine."

"Me too," she shrugged.

Not so, he knew. Her confidence, strength, and compassion was already inspiring generations of women. And men.

"Except he can't do it alone," Diana, no, Wonder Woman triumphantly smirked. "It takes a team to pull it off, and to cover for each other's problems. That's why we need you. Because while you don't think you're a hero, _we_ do. Superman does. So trust Superman." Unsaid went, 'If you can't trust yourself.'

". . ."

Once more they sat in silence, with her smiling, his face so impassive, even what was not covered by his cowl, that it was like a mask.

"What about you? Do you think we're heroes?"

She smiled at him. "If I can't trust myself, then I'll trust the opinions of those I respect. So you tell me, am I a hero?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Good. And I think the same of you."

For the first time in ages, his lips briefly twitched in a small grin. "Thanks."

Once more they sank into silence, except now it was more comfortable.

". . . You know," Wonder Woman added, breaking the quiet, "maybe there's something else we can do."

"Oh?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

"Me? Join the Justice League?"

This time, all seven members of the team were present to see Sir Justin as he recovered in the hospital.

For an instant the knight hesitated, before solemnly nodding. "I would be honoured."

"Well then, welcome to the Justice League," Superman grinned, offering his hand to shake. One by one the others did the same.

Off in the corner, Hawkgirl quietly whispered to John, "As much as it seems like a good idea to expand the League to help handle problems like the Straw Hats, some people are going to think we're making an army. And some villains will escalate."

"We know," Green Lantern agreed. "Doesn't mean it's not the right call; we're dealing with another gang that's already proven it can give us a tough fight, so we've got to adapt." He gave her a light frown, "Besides, you agreed to this too!"

"I know, just making sure you understand too," she shot back.

Inwardly however, Lieutenant Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian military, wondered how her superiors would react to this report. Maybe approach the Justice League for an alliance as they proved how capable they were?

"I'll admit," he gruffly said, "that while the Straw Hats don't seem like they want to conquer or destroy the world, we should still take our confrontation with them as a warning that we can't handle every threat. Besides, we're taking on more and more duties now."

"True, although like Flash and Wonder Woman said, having more members might hold us more accountable, help us through tough decisions." Honestly, she was not worried about that herself, yet felt like playing Devil's Advocate.

Green Lantern threw his arms up in the air. "Oh not that again! We're _not_ going to turn into supervillains!"

The rest of the team left the two at it, as they had all hashed that out before without any real progress. Batman of course was listening with half an ear, and memorizing their voiced thoughts to go over later. Right now though he was approaching the bed to be the last to welcome Sir Justin to the 'club.' "Sorry I couldn't make it here before."

"Tis nothing," assured their newest member. "I saw in the news what Gotham's going through. Though from thine presence, might I assume tis eased some?"

"A little. I'll have to head right back to investigate further. If I may offer some advice," and Sir Justin nodded, "I'd recommend spending some time with Diana. Both of you went through some culture shock, seeing how much Earth has changed over the centuries. And it turns out that despite hating men and spending all their time training to fight, they've come up with a lot of philosophy over three thousand years."

"Thank thee, I shall," grinned the knight of Camelot.

"Just helping you settle in more," Batman said without a shift in his expression.

To the side and shamelessly eavesdropping, Superman popped a little smile of his own. Glancing to see that the rest of the League were busy –including John and Shayera getting into an argument over government responses, and Flash was missing, probably flirting with the nurses— he stepped closer to Diana.

"Batman told me what you two talked about," Superman softly said to her.

"Oh?" she murmured in surprise.

"Well, it was not so much as what he said, as what he _didn't_ say, but yes. He can be a softy at times, even if he won't ever admit it. Though the thing is, yes, a lot of people think what we're going against is impossible. That we'll fail. We'll either die as heroes, or live long enough to become the villains we fight.

"Except the thing is, all of us here," Superman jerked with his chin to encompass the expanded Justice League, "are here because deep down we know we can win. And so many people _do_ believe we can succeed. At the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"One day at a time," Wonder Woman smiled. "We will get through this. We will bring Justice to the world. Like heroes."

"You know it," he grinned back.

"Hey!"

Flash zipped back into the room.

"Uhm, how're we going to fit Shining Knight's big horse with wings onto the spaceship?"

"Uh . . ."

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Yes, Nightwing got the bit about rōnin wrong in both regards, but he cannot know everything.**

 **.**

 **I will be doing birthdays in the future based upon the dates, and for DC characters it will be based upon the date that the comics with them were first published. By that logic, some day in October (I can only find the month) would have been Grundy's birthday. However given his DCAU origin, and memories, I doubt he would know the day he was 'born,' which is why I did not do something like him revealing October 31st was his birthday.**

 **.**

 **The line that Batman attributes to Clark regarding second chances, is actually a quote from O-Chul from the webcomic, 'The Order of the Stick,' in the man's own bonus story.**

 **.**

 **For those of you were hoping Batman would promptly begin a new policy more capable of helping supervillains like Baby-Doll reform, he is not going to do it on the spot. Mary Dahl's descent into madness and violence is understandable, but she is still someone who would have been convicted of the attempted murder of an entire city. Lady needs serious help, and that is not something you just jump into, especially without consulting both your team, and the authorities. Besides, if he suddenly acted more sympathetic, she would have been highly and justifiably suspicious.**

 **.**

 **Not quite how I wanted to portray Wonder Woman, except I am more used to her in the comics when she is older, wiser, and less hot-blooded.**

 **.**

 **And now we see how the Straw Hats are influencing the heroes as well, forcing them to question and grow. As one reviewer, musizlover2008 (Guest), put it, the Justice League follows what is best described as Protective Justice, where they try to save everybody.**

 **.**

 **For those of you who want to see more of the Straw Hats and friends, I recommend looking at the title of the next chapter ;-)**

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 **Next Chapter: "Blackbeard"**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	10. Blackbeard

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

Also thanks to Lincoln Time and many more of you who provided such wonderful suggestions!

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 **Guest Review answers :-D**

Creation Teller

No worries, I perfectly understand being impatient for writers to just HURRY UP and get the next chapter out X-P

As for chapters, at present count there will be a total of 76 chapters. But in all honesty I would not be surprised if we hit 100 at the rate my wonderful readers keep giving me such wonderful suggestions!

Do please keep up your character suggestions, you have really helped expand not only the cast, but their interactions as well! :-D

You will have to see below for Blackbeard ;-)

Agreed, and it would be fun to see Luffy abuse and misuse the Green Lantern Ring too. However, what kind of foe would then be a challenge for him?

Very sweet of Grinder :-) But yes, he does not really fit the criteria I put in for the end of chapter 5. Captain Alchemy is a possibility given his brief scene in the DCAU. Kudos to Mirror Master for managing to keep a secret like that despite all the effort that would have been put into finding him. Have you seen Captain Cold vs. Johnny Quick? Mind you, I think the DCAU uses the weaker type of gun, but still love the 'mutual respect' part. And yeah, I respect his code and how he makes sure the rest follow it too. That code of course being what keeps them from going too far.

Knight of Shadows, barring any further changes, will be chapter 14.

For Blackbeard, you will have to read this chapter ;-)

I will be consulting the comics indeed, although I will have to be careful adapting in details, if only because of how relatively few readers have looked through them, and the wiki does not cover the details either.

Alright, so the Straw Hats somehow encounter Lobo and hire him on to go steal stuff for them. Not sure how they would have the right currency or something they could trade though. Although I admit now I am wondering about maybe someone else hiring Lobo to go after the pirates, but unsure of where to take it from there . . .

*Facepalm* I had completely forgotten about the hyenas! Thanks! Why I love wonderful readers like you! You will see them shortly ;-)

I am still debating with myself about Luffy getting a Power Ring in general. At the very least I might have to escalate the threats they face if I do . . .

Interesting idea for the Straw Hat Grand Fleet Divisions, although it would have to be something that the newbies would have to initiate themselves since Luffy sure would not. I like how you divided them up (although Harley should be with the Gotham one I feel), and at the very least definitely 'teams' or 'squads' that they would follow. Less sure about the magic users though, if only because they can be pretty over-powered, and even bringing in Justice League ones to counter the pirates' could make them dominate the story I fear. Hmmm, if I do decide to take this Grand Fleet path, I know *just* the chapter.

In terms of Justice League recruits, I confess that I have little knowledge of Creeper. Fire was not someone I had considered developing further, but now definitely considering it more. Heck, she had a big role in an episode, and one possible place to put her in too. As for Vigilante, you can be sure I will not be breaking up his bromance with Shining Knight! ;-) Not so sure what the three would offer in diverse points of view however.

Those might be useful additional false trails to leave in addition to the ones Nightwing already mentioned, especially since they do not know the League thinks they are aliens. And yeah, there will be assumptions that either Jinbe has connections to Atlantis, is an aquatic alien, or is a meta-human changed to look like that.

The casino outfits, including the later leather heist ones, will definitely have an appearance, but I had forgotten about the mafia ones which definitely have to show up!

In regards to the Justice League figuring out the truth of the Straw Hats, I will simply say that the DCAU Question is one of my favourite characters from the show, and he will be demonstrating just what the 'crackpot' is capable of. On a very related note, I SERIOUSLY recommend to you and other readers, "From the Ashes" by AgentMalkere on Archives of Our Own. Not only is it an awesome fic in its own right, but it has heavily influenced certain plans of mine. Be sure to leave a Comment for it!

Incidentally, one of your Reviews was #500! Congratulations! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

 **.**

wormrepo

A totally understandable reason to disable your PMs, even if regrettable I cannot consult with you more readily.

Well I can definitely emphasize with hating it when the groove is disrupted!

Glad the part with the public response is going well, I confess that was a detail I had initially overlooked when I started this, so glad I adapted it in well. Also happy to hear I am doing the bulk of the Straw Hats nicely :-)

In all honesty, I have been trying to *shorten* the chapters, and failing miserably at that so far :-P I will be working to improve upon the characters were I can, but when you get serious about superheroes in general the situation quickly becomes complicated. That is me admitting I am struggling a bit to keep the Justice League in a believable fashion at times as it is. They really do believe what they are doing is right, and given what they are usually up against they have very good reason to do what they are doing. On the flipside, it really is easy to see why Cadmus was able to garner such support. I will however do my best to develop and expand upon the characters, as well as doing my best to keep the Idiot Ball well away from my stories. Except for comedic purposes like someone thinking they can ruin Luffy's meat and get away with it :-P Moreover, the League is going through their equivalent of 'evolve or die,' with the Straw Hats. Nothing like losing to start teaching you how to handle your job properly. Or alternatively you feel driven to take up increasingly more extreme methods until you become the Justice Lords…

I can totally emphasize with you regarding how authors can respond to Reviews. I tend to like to leave detailed ones myself, unless the author does not respond back with later chapters. One time I was even told my suggestions were insulting, despite all the work I had done to try and help. Very infuriating to say the least. X-( While I disagreed with some of your points, you had put a lot of effort into them, which I appreciate, and sincerely hope you continue! :-)

More importantly, your Reviews really did help a lot for this chapter. The bit about the Fruit of the Poisonous Tree was directly from you, and you helped inspire my theory as to why Batman is 'only' a part-timer. So a good part as to why he was a more solid character was thanks to your help :-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

.

DrHeartStealer

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Curious Kit

Here comes more! I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Revan

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

SargentEpsilon

Actually we are already past that episode by now. Diana has been banished too. I did not see any real need to involve the Straw Hats for that episode, although in hindsight I have some ideas. As for the rogue Amazon Aresia, I think she assumed that killing all the men would force the gods to intervene, and hopefully turn all the remaining women into immortal Amazons as well.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

HatethePlayer-NevertheGame

I really appreciate hearing that I have made a One Piece crossover that works :-)

No, the whole build-up with Luffy and Gotham and bad food was held off until that very moment for maximum impact.

I feel that while Luffy is indeed dumb, people still underestimate him too much. He reminds me a lot of a character from Discworld, who was noted to appear smart because he was just so cunning. And yeah, Luffy has been through a lot to learn from.

If I keep getting great suggestions, the number of chapters may go up ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

.

Dust Bunny

I am honestly unsure if Law's DFP could changer he like that, as it would involve modifying what is essentially her natural state. Same for Bonney, as her Dahl's issue is that she only ages externally, so getting older would not help her on the outside. Regardless, she does not know about those abilities, and the Straw Hats are still aiming to keep their origins totally secret . . .

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Evil Reviewer

Future responses should be shorter, if only because I realized that if I was going to start responding than I would have to go back several chapters. Especially since some earlier Guest Reviews had been so helpful. Hopefully will not be as long in the future.

As I understand the font is standard across FF, but will see about another form of dividing. Although the way the set-up changes for the chapter title and preview seems like enough for now.

If you figure out a plausible way for me to introduce 'Batman Beyond,' then I will jump right on that! And yes, all those episodes including 'Static Shock,' although a lot less for that one, if only because I have barely watched that series.

Yes, by this point in the series we are not dealing with a Dr. Freeze who is trying to cure his wife, which is admittedly a shame. By this point, episodes like 'Cold Comfort' have happened, which, to quote the DCAU Wiki: "'Cold Comfort', the third episode of The New Batman Adventures, is all about — as the name suggests — Mr. Freeze. Unlike the past, when his ultimate goal was to cure and be reunited with his wife, this time he is only bent on malicious and spiteful vengeance as a way to lash out against all humanity, because he decided that if he can't have happiness then nobody can, and makes the big mistake of targeting Bruce Wayne's loved ones." Which I admit is sad, especially since frankly the dude's 'Batman Beyond' episode is one of my favourites . . . That said, your other review made me realize I was being lazy regarding him, and I have some new ideas now ;-)

Kudos to you for finding that mention about 'Paradise Lost' in an earlier chapter. But yeah, it has already happened in-universe, and when I started and decided I would not be covering every episode, I had decided to leave that one alone to be like canon. Slightly kicking myself over it due to some newer ideas :-P And you are thinking of Tala, who also worked for Cadmus.

Good point for Green Lantern. You should see the "ex-marine" in chapter 11 ;-) Thank you! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

.

Arios

It was a great idea, and thanks again for recommending it! And to just make the credit explicit now, yeah the cookbook was all you! :-D Except the name, but you set me on that path :-)

Yeah, I have a lot to still do. *Cracks knuckles*

Chapter 10 is all about the Straw Hats ;-)

LOL if the League ever wanted to drive Luffy out of America, just make a fake ad campaign that the US is going all tofu! X-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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Justice

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Chapter 10: Blackbeard

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 _Previously:_

 _The Straw Hats are now working on lying low after all the chaos they have recently caused, drawing the world's attention to themselves. Stuff like Sanji crippling Joker for example . . ._

 _In the meantime, Franky continues his work to return them all to their home dimension._

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 **Note: To avoid confusion, I do recommend readers first google: One Piece wiki moon. You can get by without it, but you might be pretty surprised and even confused if you do not. I know I was.**

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November 4

"Mind telling me why the silent treatment?"

A little surprised, Poison Ivy turned to look at Sanji who was being uncharacteristically serious. Well, serious when talking to a woman at least. No swaying around, and no calling her name adoringly and intimately. Something he did even when she made her contempt clear.

They were standing in one of her personal rooms within the ever-expanding underground complex. Walls lined with some of her more . . . exotic hybrids. Muscular, humanoid plants with toxic spines that would fight to protect their mommy or plant-life in general. Such darlings.

For whatever reason, the Straw Hats largely respected her privacy, with only Usopp or occasionally Robin joining her in tending to her babies. Even then, those two did nothing to stop her from amassing her own dangerous, little army. With any other people, she would conclude it was because they were so arrogantly confident in their power that they believed she was too cowed to ever possibly consider betraying them. Except right now she could not deny the feeling it was simply because they trusted her. Which was a new and strange experience for her. Someone actually trusted her without being an idiot or arrogant. Or Harley, who was not _quite_ an idiot.

After some thought, she chose not to abuse it. Yet.

Still, it remained somewhat unusual that one of the others would seek her out like this, much less Sanji. "Mind telling me why you're violating my solitude?"

With careful deliberation he stepped forward into the greenhouse/lab. "I decided if a woman was going to tear out my heart, I'd rather she do it without Mosshead blundering in."

With a soft "Hmm," she checked another of her children. _Good. The newest variant of the toxin is coming along nicely_. It had been Robin who suggested using different strains for each individual plant, trading greater effort on her part, in exchange for a lessor chance of Batman developing a general vaccine or antidote. He always was terrifyingly adept at that.

After ignoring him for five minutes, his silent presence finally made her resolve wilt, and she told him. "I'm still angry at you for what you did to Harley." He looked confused at this, so she elaborated. "What you did to Joker, while I'm glad it pushed her into leaving him, you also endangered her life by doing so. Who knows what he's capable of now?

"Not only that, she's now forced to live here with all your madness, and the entire Justice League after us all. Even if we left right this instant . . ." she trailed off.

Sanji sighed. "Sorry. I had kind of an idea of who he was, which is why I made him unable to smile, only nothing specific. But yeah I didn't think it through enough."

"You should've killed him. For all we know he'll come after her now."

"I'm not that kind of guy, and I'll protect her if he does."

"Man up!" she hissed. "Your or Batman could've killed him anytime, and you haven't! He'll be a threat to her for as long as he lives!"

The chef gave an unapologetic shrug. "While I've killed before, in the heat of the moment against guys who're too weak for my kicks, it's not something I'm in the habit of doing." Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it before finishing, "I grew up with people who were into that, and I've no intention to doing the same. I've seen what it makes them become, and selfish or not, I've no interest going down that path."

At that, she leapt at him for snap-kick that could knock down even Joker's toughest thugs, except Sanji did not even seem to notice the blow. "You have no idea what he's capable of!" Poison Ivy yelled at him.

To her surprise, he backed off, and plopped down on the edge of one of her planters. "No, I don't. Otherwise I'd have made sure he was too afraid to even _think_ of coming near her again. Which is why I need your help protecting everyone."

The sudden humility in a man who tended to act so openly and perverted threw her off. Especially from a man in general. _Although, from day one I've known how different they are_ , she fiercely reminded herself, unsure if she was trying to warn herself or defend them.

In truth, with the Straw Hats and Harley, she felt . . . safe. Happy. Maybe not as happy as she had been as 'Pamela Carlyle,' when she had created her own artificial family until Batman ruined it, yet still happy.

Happier than she had been since then.

Of course, that was not to say she did not have hidden plant replicas of her and Harley within her little garden. If the pirates started showing a darker side, the two of them would switch out and make their getaway.

"For what it's worth," he continued. "I think you're underestimating Harley."

"No I'm not!" she snapped back. "She'll bloom fresh and stronger than ever here, I know that. I also know that with you people, you'll continue to draw in greater and greater threats in turn!"

Another reason for the human-plant clones stashed away.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Sighing to himself, Sanji took another draw of his cigarette. He knew that Poison Ivy was right in that sense. Every one of the Straw Hats had a tendency to draw in opposing power. Stronger and more dangerous each time. Their Captain approved of that. No, he was the ringleader drawing them in, and in more ways than one. The only question was if they could remain tougher and more resourceful than whoever came their way. Still, that was not a productive argument.

After all, it was _Ivy_ who had dragged Harley to them in the first place. Because they were both so scared of the Joker, which also answered why the redhead did not do in the madman herself. That and the fact that Harley might never forgive her if she did . . .

Trying another track, he said, "We're all lying low for the time being, so that should be good. Nothing to draw attention to ourselves."

"Oh, didn't you hear?" she asked with mild surprise. "Another job just popped up."

Surprised, Sanji took his cigarette from his mouth. "What kind of job would let Nami-swan change her mind?" he queried.

Ivy shrugged. "Robin got a tip that someone's hunting whale sharks. I'm a little tempted to go too, but I'm more for saving plant life, and I agree that I shouldn't advertise our little team-up yet."

He relaxed and resumed his smoking. "Ah, say no more." If Nami had been approached about a job against people endangering animals, she would have refused. Whales however, out of respect for Brook, she would have concluded it was up to Luffy to decide, and he likely would have agreed. Whale _sharks_ though, were not only Jinbe's specific species of Fishmen, but the species he was most connected to, making it a no brainer. "I'm sure they'll have fun."

Despite herself, she smiled at that. "I'm sure they will."

 **!JUSTICE!**

In another part of the base, the away team was finishing prepping Franky's custom jet.

"All set!" chirped Chopper, confirming he had various life jackets and other buoyancy devices ready. Like many other things, they were all more advanced than what they had back home, with a variety of additional safety features.

"All right," Brook said, dropping the cheerful attitude for that of a warrior preparing for a crusade. This was personal.

"From what Karrade told Robin," growled Jinbe, "if we take the jet we should get there just before the poachers do."

"Honestly," Brook noted, "it's stuff like this that really makes the Justice League's condescension towards us puts my nose out of joint. If they were doing their jobs properly, it wouldn't even be necessary for us to have to deal with stuff like this! Not that I have a nose of course, Yo ho ho ho~!"

"Yeah," grumped Chopper (still adorably). "Why doesn't Aquaman do something more about this! Doesn't he talk to fish or something?"

"That's unconfirmed," Jinbe neutrally said. "It could be just the ability to control them, not talk to them. And from what I've read up on him," –because of _course_ Jinbe would ask Robin for everything she had on another underwater kingdom— "he has indeed made an impact. He has taken to task many of those who have endangered both the oceans, and those who live beneath the waves.

"It's just that he's claimed sole responsibility over too vast a region for one man to handle. It's 70% of the surface of the world, and to all appearances he's chosen to be the sole protector and enforcer of it all.

"His flaw is his refusal to delegate the job of watching over the seas. On top of that, he has to handle ruling his people directly, and apparently he's trying to be a husband and father as well."

"Tsk," the skeleton shook his head.

"Even Luffy knows you're supposed to let other people do the jobs they're good at!" cried Chopper. "What is wrong with the guy!?"

"Well said," nods Jinbe, booting up the jet.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Volcana smiled as she brushed Maureen's hair some more.

The once limp and pale girl was now full of life, chatting away about her newest adventure with the Straw Hats. They were all such a . . . interesting group, that there was always something new and fun to do. Listen to Brook's singing, helping Usopp tinker or work with plants, laugh and prank with Luffy, etcetera.

Volcana just kept a loose eye on the girl to make sure she did not get involved in anything too serious. Like stealing Zoro's sake, or Sanji's cigarettes. Not that she thought they would hurt Maureen, it was just that the older woman was unsure how well the young teen would handle getting swept up into it all.

Most the Straw Hats were about her age, or a little older, yet they were all also a lot, hmm, tougher was not the right word. More how their own layers of scars had given them some extra cushioning, and Volcana wanted to help the girl be strong with as little pain as possible.

 _Well, without_ more _pain_ , she admitted to herself. _I'd still prefer her to not have to endure those sorts of scars though._

Zoro had one over his chest that should have killed him, and he was missing an eye. They did not seem that old, and he was only twenty-one.

At age eighteen, Luffy had a burn scar over his chest that should have left him dead.

The pyrokinetic knew this, because she had killed people that way.

This young girl she was pampering deserved more from life than that. Just a little longer.

"-ana?"

With a blink she realized she had gotten distracted, and Maureen was looking at her in confusion in the mirror.

"Sorry!"

"What's wrong?"

"I—" she hesitated, and looked away. Brutal honesty seemed the way to go. Half-truths and deceit were all she had known as a teenager herself after all. "I just worry about you."

"Why? I'm safe here! Luffy an' the others'll protect us!"

"Not always," warned Volcana. "They're strong, but you can't trust them to always be there every time to save you." A false belief like that was too dangerous.

"I just," she paused once more. "I want you to be happy too . . . And I'm so sure that you will be if you get totally sucked up into the life of Luffy and the others."

While most of them were younger than her, they were all so powerful and charismatic it seemed almost inevitable. Even now Volcana knew that she might never leave. Not unless it was for Maureen maybe, or something else as important. However she felt it might be best for the brunette to be able to do so more freely.

 _Especially_ since to this day she had no idea what their final agenda was. Even Luffy was surprisingly close-mouthed about where they were from, or what the purpose was behind all those thefts and schemes. She knew there was some greater plan behind it all, and she had no idea what would happen once they succeeded. Only that whatever it was, the need to accomplish it was almost all-consuming for them at times.

Oh, she had suspicions of course. It was merely that for someone like her, all those secrets put her on edge, despite how wonderful everything else was.

Instead of becoming upset or confused, the younger girl turned around to pull the shocked super-villainous into a surprisingly warm hug. "I'll be fine . . . Big Sis."

Nothing more in her life shocked the redhead, and then catching the searching, hesitant look she was getting, returned the embrace. With interest. "I know you will. I just worry, Little Sister."

Now the teenager looked awkward, and changed the subject. "And besides, I can fight too if I want!" Instantly the room cooled and snow whirled around them. In answer Volcana called forth her fires and melted them all, making Maureen giggle.

"Hey, Volcana?"

"Yes? Why do you call yourself that? I mean, so do most of the others. Stuff like Clayface, Poison Ivy, even for Harley. Should I go back to being Permafrost?"

"NO!"

Maureen jumped back at that, and Volcana quickly elaborated. "Our names, our titles, they're our way of saying we're no longer a part of society. Distancing ourselves from our past lives. You don't have to make that choice yet."

Not to mention that the girl had heard 'voices' calling her that name while at her most vulnerable and unstable. Best not to go down that path. Ever again.

"What do you mean not a part of society?"

It only just then dawned on Volcana that no, it was not really clear to her little sister that everyone in her new family was some sort of criminal. Of course not. They were all her heroes.

Right.

Well.

With a pained sigh, she elaborated. "You know how everyone here doesn't really like the superheroes?"

"Well, I don't think Luffy cares. Neither does Zoro. Sanji loves the women like he always does. Robin seems caught between amusement, and well, something else, and—"

"Yes, yes, but what about the law then?"

"Oh, they all treat it as a big joke. I don't get all of Harley's jokes though."

A word might be necessary with the mad blonde.

"Well, Maureen, it's because we're all wanted by the law."

"Huh?"

"We're criminals."

"Oh. . . . Why?"

"That's a long story. For each of us. The short version is, the law caused us all pain, and then tried to blame it all on us."

The ice-user was silent for two minutes, before giving a firm nod, and even firmer hug again. "Well, they aren't taking any of you guys away from me! That's a promise!"

Once more Volcana felt herself melting into those arms. The irony. Who knew this could be her life?

Without another word they went back to sprucing each other up, when they realized two more people had joined them.

"Robin, Nami," grinned Maureen. "What're you guys doing here?"

Both women were dressed in sweatshirts and sweatpants, and were smiling at the younger (although only barely in Nami's case) girl with happiness. She was a bright new light in their lives, without the usual stress that accompanied it.

They also looked like night and day right now.

Nami's orange hair and yellow clothes made her look like the sun.

Robin on the other hand, had taken a curious approach to Goth.

Some days she fully embraced it, and others she was back to wearing bright clothing. Today was the former, with her wearing black clothes, lipstick, and eyeliner, with her shirt reading in red, 'How Is Your Blood?'

 _Well, she still makes a great 'aunt' figure for Maureen_ , Volcana allowed. Then their outfits fully clicked in.

Faceplaming, Volcana nodded. "Right, it's time for more sparring practice, isn't it?"

"Yes," smiled Robin, while Nami just sighed. Both ladies might appreciate the importance of keeping fighting fit, yet neither of them really enjoyed the actual effort involved.

Not that Volcana had a drop of sympathy.

"Don't you dare give me that look," she groused, catching from her peripheral Maureen's sudden concern. "You pack away just as much of Sanji's delicious food as we do, and never seem to gain a pound!"

"Oh," Nami stuck out a cheeky tongue. "You and the other ladies starting to put on weight?"

A wordless growl was the best Volcana could muster, while Maureen giggled a bit. "Are you getting fat?"

"No!" The other unfair thing was Maureen continued to need to put on more weight after being homeless for so long, so Sanji freely plied her with mounds and mounds of mouth-watering foods, followed by glistening desserts.

Still grinning, Nami patted her toned, flat stomach. "Guess you gals will just have to up your game then! And yeah, exercise is a pain, but overall worth it!"

Glaring daggers, Volcana stalked towards the downstairs gym. She was still wearing her regular super-villainous uniform (which was _not_ getting tight around the waist! At all.), and that was good enough to train in.

As they were walking off to the underground gym, Volcana remembered another 'danger' to keep her charge away from. "And Nami, no more trying to drag Maureen into your insurance scams!"

"It's insurance against Luffy and whatever chaos he causes! Everyone'll be buying it eventually, and we can just run off with the cash!"

"No!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Harley Quinn gave a depressed sigh, chin resting on her fists. "At this rate, I'm goin' to feel insecure!" Her fellow super-villainesses gave reluctant nods of assent.

In front of them, Robin and Nami were doing their own training, their utterly beautiful bodies rippling with hard-toned muscles as they moved faster and stronger than any of the other ladies present. Light glistened off the sweat coating their bodies.

Robin was doing a series of kicks with weights on. From some cryptic words she had said, and some other comments her crew had made in response, it seemed like there had been an occasion where her arms were bound, and had been unable to use her powers. Hence her desire to expand her repertoire as a precaution.

Overseeing her was Sanji, who was taking the matter so seriously that he was not even complimenting her shapely legs as his keen eyes swept over her every movement. Clearly whatever the past incident had involved, it had been serious business!

As for Nami, she was sparring against Zoro. She was wielding her unique weapon, expanding it into a staff of different lengths, or contracting it into a baton at incredible speeds. While she was showing incredible skill with it, and developing new combinations with her versatile little 'toy,' Zoro was casually matching her with one sword. He was not acting bored however, as he assessed her thrusts and swings with an analytical focus to match Sanji's, and his own verbal critiques and praises were just as piercing.

In comparison, the various super-villainesses who were so feared by law enforcement, felt slow and bloated. Except for Poison Ivy to an extent, whose all vegetarian diet at least managed to keep her smugly slim.

"It's not just that they're supermodels who're also hard-core," Volcana noted. (She would have made a comparison to Lara Croft, except she was persona non grata within hearing distance of Robin . . . which appeared to extend for at least a hundred meters any direction). "It's how fast they get stronger. I mean, I dropped by last week, and Robin's weights were at least ten pounds lighter then."

"Which makes sense," Cheetah admitted, gesturing over towards two pairs of clone arms of Robin's. One pair was doing bicep curls with weights, while the other was exercising the triceps. Clearly she was able to gain muscle mass this way. Although since she was not using more arms for it, the scientist had to wonder if the brunette also felt the fatigue from such exertion.

"It's literally not fair," Harley dejectedly nodded. It took the others a few seconds to catch on, and once the egg-headed psychologist turned seasoned fighter saw the comprehension, she continued. "All of the Straw Hats learn and get stronger faster than the rest. Ya can _see_ it happening. It's like they're anime protagonists or something."

Then Harley blinked, and slapped both sides of her head. "Stop it! I'm wanted in twelve states, and I've taken down Bats before!"

Narrowing her eyes, she grabbed the massive hammer at her side to rest it on her shoulder, and fluidly stood up. With smooth precision, she stalked towards Zoro and Nami, her faithful hyenas, Bud and Lou, growling and snickering as they stalked by her side.

"Hey!" Both fighters stopped to look at her. "When's my turn!?"

She almost regretted it as she saw Zoro's feral grin, yet Harley's determined expression never faltered. She had seen worse. Much worse.

Nami's smile was much friendlier. "Go at Zoro with everything you've got. He'll give you some tips, and then you and I can start sparring."

"Your dogs fight with you?" checked Zoro, mistaking them for actual canines.

"Bud and Lou, sic 'em," was Harley's only reply.

With that, she and her 'babies' leapt into the fray.

 **!JUSTICE!**

The rest of training went very well from there.

Poison Ivy had started up her own kicking regime alongside Robin, with Sanji giving helpful advice. At the same time, Volcana kept shooting fire at him, which he continued to casually dodge. Not once did he give a compliment unrelated to their progress.

Cheetah had gone against Nami, only taking a break once she had been worn and beaten down to the point she had trouble moving. The redhead had generously carried her aside, only giving a single sharp rap on the noggin when Cheetah tried a surprise attack after playing possum. The 'witch' had not been fooled.

On Robin's advice, Clayface had separated himself into two independent parts to fight each other, something he was embarrassed he had not thought of before, despite having had the ability for so long. Now one of them had shifted to look like Batman, to practice fighting against his greatest foe.

Off on the other side of the massive underground training room, they could hear constant crashes.

And screaming.

"What's going on over there?" Poison Ivy finally asked.

"Luffy and Usopp," answered Sanji, dodging another burst of fire. "Usopp's been working on a skill called Observation Haki, and it's best developed under stress or duress. So Luffy's—"

 **BOOM!**

The ground shook.

After a moment, the sounds of chasing resumed, with the screams reaching an even higher pitch.

"So Luffy's giving Usopp incentive," deadpanned Sanji.

"I think I'll pass on learning this Haki anytime soon," muttered Volcana, with Ivy giving a quick nod of agreement.

"Eh, who knows," Zoro unexpectedly cut in. "One day you guys might get to the level you can actually use it. One day."

"We'll get there," moaned Harley Quinn, lying exhausted on the ground, her hyenas curled up beside her. Zoro had given her a real workout, with Nami was coming up with a water bottle for her blonde friend. The ex-psychiatrist looked over at the only remaining pair here.

In a brutal, pseudo boxing/wrestling match, Grundy and Franky were trading blows. While the former was clearly the stronger, he lacked the skills and experience of the blue-haired man, and was getting pointers. After always being treated as dumb muscle, Grundy was finally learning how to actually fight for once.

"Huh," grinned Harley widely. "A zombie vs. cyborg match-up in a secret pirate base. Who woulda thunk it, huh?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

After everyone's workouts, Luffy carried in a beaten and battered Usopp over his shoulder.

Weirdly, they were both grinning like loons, even if Usopp kept wincing in pain.

Waving off any concerns of the super-villains, Luffy carried the sniper upstairs, saying he just needed a breather. Feeling rested themselves, everyone went back upstairs to do their own things.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

At an abandoned warehouse a few blocks from Franky's lab, a series of large transport trucks drove into another desolate yet expansive building.

All of the drivers were familiar hands with this now, calmly got out of their cabs, and walked over to the line of suitcases in the middle of the room, each sporting one of their names. As one they opened them up to confirm their payment as they counted the pile of bills, including a little extra to pay for a taxi cab home (it was the small things that made them so appreciative), and they walked out.

The next morning they would return to pick up their now empty trucks, and go back to their regular jobs until they were contacted again to move heavy and mysterious shipments that none of them felt tempted to examine.

Up in the roof beams and shadows, a camera recorded all, and deep in his lab Franky grinned as his newest pieces of heavy machinery had arrived.

With this latest delivery, he had enough supplies for months if necessary, as he struggled to find a way back home! Alright, maybe weeks. Still…

A SUPER good haul!

After all, it took a lot stuff for the work he was doing.

The unfortunate fact of the matter was that none of them, including Franky, really knew what they needed as he basically invented a brand new scientific field on his own.

His latest project was trying to study the Vivre Cards they had brought with them, except instead of moving towards whomever they had been made from, all they did was sit there, shaking back and forth. Various scans were not providing any useful clues, and Franky vowed that once they got back home he was going to figure out how to make one, and how exactly they worked.

Not only were a lot of resources eaten up in trial and error, more than a few times they had made a daring robbery for equipment and materials, only to later discover that it was all a dead end and what they had taken was now useless to them except for selling.

Which was also why their financial costs were so high, requiring such massive heists.

 _Well, that and having to feed our SUPER captain of course_ , Franky fondly smirked.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Straw Hat Jet

Thank you for coming by the way, Chopper."

Blinking, human-reindeer hybrid looked up from his latest notes at the musician's voice. "Oh, no worry," he quickly assures them. "I'm happy to help."

"Even so," Brook somberly says, "I know that this is difficult for you, and I appreciate it."

Usually Chopper would get all worked up by the compliment, except he knew how sensitive whale hunting is for the skeleton, and both knew how uncomfortable talking to animals is for Chopper.

Well, on this world at least.

Back home, he could have whole conversations with them. Of course, he preferred talking to his fellow humans more, and not just because of the possibility that whoever he had just connected with might later end up on the dinner table.

The other Humans (if you could call some of them that) tried not to think about how even fish could have full-length discussions if you spoke the right language.

Even _Luffy_ tried his best to be sensitive about it.

Of course if they had just _asked_ Chopper, they would have been surprised to learn he was perfectly accepting of it. Being eaten was just part of how the circle of life worked. The animal kingdom understood this, even if they would do all they could to stay alive. So long as the ones who were killed were eaten to rejoin the cycle, they were fine with it. Wastage was another story entirely.

Like hunting whales wholescale, just for their oils and such, and killing even pregnant mothers.

Hence why it was personal all around.

Things were of course different in this new universe. For instance, while there were some similar animals (i.e. cats and dogs), there were also some missing, like carnivorous rabbits.

(Luffy and Usopp had been horrified to discover dinosaurs were extinct here, and had seriously considered for a bit to send some back when they went home. No place should be without dinosaurs.)

(Fortunately –for this place— Luffy decided to stick to his policy of as minimal exchange as possible. Treating it as a terrible, if necessary burden in this case.)

To his dismay, Chopper had also discovered that none of the animals here were remotely as intelligent as the ones back home. Granted, back when he had been a so-called 'normal' animal, Chopper had been incapable of even concentrating on stuff like medical treatments, yet he had still been self-aware enough to recognize what his lifestyle was like, and remember personal details. Some creatures were brighter than others as well.

All these animals here were just dumb. As in, nothing remotely worth talking about. Unless of course you wanted to be sure they were alright, and were willing to endure a stilted, painful conversation to learn more about their circumstances.

It was not recommended.

(Except for dolphins and whales. He could still have a pleasant chat with them. Which only made humans targeting them all the more disgusting!)

"How is your research going?" Jinbe asks, changing the topic.

"Oh, pretty good!" Chopper lights up. "I've been learning so many things here! Especially in researching about the Humans. There's been so much I've learnt, and so many questions to explore now!"

When they had first come to this universe, one of the first things they had done after realizing they were on a different planet, and Luffy got them back on their feet, was do some further research to verify their speculation.

There had been some initial confusion from details like how their system for determining blood-types was generally different from what Chopper was used to, but other than that, everything checked out. An entire planet of normal Humans! Except for the meta-humans. Which were a relatively new thing according to history of this planet, give or take a few decades . . .

Not that Chopper had had any chance to examine 'normal' Humans with his crew itself, and he was not just talking about their ability to survive trauma which should have at least required brand new organs. Frankly, they should all be dead already. Many times over. To name a few examples:

Zoro could chew and swallow razors, or survive on poisonous food and water.

Sanji had trained himself to be immune to fire.

Luffy . . . Where did Chopper even start!? Devil Fruit aside, Chopper was coming to suspect that his friend was subconsciously using that same technique that CP9 had: Life Return, complete control over one's bodily functions. He also seemed capable of converting food and water to heal himself at a frankly absurd rate.

Franky was surviving on Cola. Which made no sense for a cyborg. Never mind the energy requirements for powering all his gadgetry (for which engine oil or something made more sense), but when Chopper had stopped to think about it he realized that the soda alone could not maintain a Human body. Certainly not for the stunts his friend would suddenly be capable of by inserting a bottle inside himself. Except if it was not broken, it was best not to pry too much. So how in the seven seas cola produced enough energy was a mystery for the ages. Thankfully they (Robin) had started a company producing the exact same brand he was used to, so as to ensure he never ran out. And it was very popular with youth of today. A SUPER drink for a SUPER day.

And do not even get him started on Brook!

As near as Chopper could theorize, while Brook's skeleton was moved and powered by his soul and will, it had limited energy to do so. Hence why he felt tired, and took the time to actually sleep, all to 'recharge.' . . . If that made a lick of sense.

The rest appeared psychosomatic, in that despite everything Brook 'knew' he needed to eat, could poop (yes, yes he did. The skeleton could stink up the bathroom as much as anyone, and Chopper had _samples_ to prove it!), or be drugged if he 'knew' from seeing others fall unconscious that he should too (they had not really tested that one, except it had happened at Punk Hazard). Although it also appeared that food could provide additional energy to the soul, so when it went down his throat where food was supposed to be digested and broken down into said energy . . . it just did. Plus he could convert milk into fixing bones, because Brook 'knew' that was what milk did.

In theory, the only restrictions Brook had were energy and what limits he let his mind place upon himself. Except given how fragile his mental state had been left after fifty years of isolation, amongst other traumas, it was not something to be experimented with. At all.

Chopper shook his head to readjust his thoughts.

"What's been most incredible," the doctor went on, "is learning about what they've discovered about the Lineage Factor, or DNA as they call it here; the blueprint of life." He had been most interested to learn from Sanji about Doctor Vegapunk and Vinsmoke Judge's discovery.

Yes, Vinsmoke Judge, not 'father.' Their friend had made it very explicit that 'Vinsmoke Sanji' had died years ago at sea.

Regardless, the Germa 66 and Caesar Clown's developments with it had made learning more an obvious priority. Especially as they were at war with Kaidou and his army of artificial Devil Fruit users.

"I know that they're further ahead than us regarding the Lineage Factor," Jinbe said, "so I'm guessing you've figured out what's different between Humans here, and Humans at home?"

"That's just the thing! And weird at that. I can't find any significant difference between them! Not only are all the organs the same and everything, I can't find any real genetic dissimilarities between us. Metahumans like Volcana, Cheetah, and the others, are the only ones genetically divergent from Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Nami, and Franky!"

(Readings from the Devil Fruit Users were still too confusing.)

"So I don't understand why regular people here have a limit to how strong, fast, and tough they can be, and why Zoro's Zoro, and not killing himself with just his exercise regime!" He took a deep breath, and continued more calmly. "I think that what gives us the ability to grow so much is something environmental. Maybe intensifying the further we go down the Grand Line."

"Well, that's fascinating," said a shocked Brook. "It's generally accepted that the reason people get stronger is because their enemies become stronger as they are funnelled through the Blues into the Grand Line. Only the strong survive, which means their opponents become increasingly strong as well."

"Indeed," said a distracted Jinbe as he thought it over. "While the growing ferocity of the wildlife is explained by them needing to be tough enough to survive the weather conditions that only worsen the farther down you go. Now though you're saying it might be something else . . ."

None of them were sure what exactly the ramifications of this revelation were, yet they all knew they would be significant. For instance, learning to harness this mysterious outside force that affected people so much.

In this place, barring radiation, magical artifacts, or advanced technology, no human could beat Superman with their fists. In the Straw Hats' world, theoretically anyone could become as absolutely terrifying as 'Red Haired' Shanks, or 'Hawkeye' Mihawk.

"Any other world-shattering revelations or questions?" Jinbe asked, a drop of sweat on his brow. Brook poured himself some tea from a thermos; he had a feeling he might need it.

"Well, more weird and suspicious than serious," admitted Chopper.

"That doesn't really narrow it down."

"Yo ho ho ho~! That's our life right there!"

Sighing, Chopper settled back in his seat. "One other thing that's big in this world is where people come from, with them believing it's either from divine creation, or evolution. You remember evolution from our movies, right?"

"Yes," Brook nodded, as did Jinbe. "Although it did confuse me, as that's the first I've heard of it."

"Me too," Jinbe said, eyes narrowed in thought. "I'm guessing then that your next question is where did Fishmen come from?"

It really was nice to have someone as bright as these two to talk to. "Yep!" Chopper clapped.

"There are some legends and myths about it," Jinbe acknowledged. "Nothing that is popularly believed now days. The giants have their religious beliefs I know, and I have met many nuns and priests on the surface. However . . ."

"They are falling out of favour, yes," Brook said, sipping his tea. "The World Government acts as if the system they created is the new world, and that everything that came before is irrelevant. Since the Celestial Dragons' ancestors made it, they are the gods now. Thus they do not support any other holy orders." He tapped his chin. "Also, now that I think on those other belief systems I've learnt about, I cannot recall the details on _how_ the world supposedly came to be."

"I . . . have heard some versions," frowned Jinbe. "Yet the emphasis for most is that the god or gods made the world and we should rejoice and praise them. Nothing about where they came from or, as you said, how they made it all, or why they made it in the first place. Although as Brook said, it is not too surprising. Maybe it would be weird to the people of this world, but it is indeed nothing really serious."

Although now that he thought about it, by that same measure, you would think that the World Government would advocate a religion that said something to the extent of a divine being or beings making the Celestial Dragons first as their holy agents, then Humanity, and then finally the Fishmen, Minks, Dwarves, Giants, Snakenecks, Longarms, Longlegs, etcetera, coming last, with the intention that they would serve their 'betters.' A policy that would have enjoyed widespread support from many nobles across the globe.

Except there was nothing like that.

It was . . . definitely a little suspicious. Nothing incriminating, and there were probably dozens of possible explanations. It was just –as Chopper said— weird.

"And then there's the whole theory of evolution," the adorable, little mad scientist continued. "Here, they had theories and evidence supporting it even before they confirmed about the Lineage Factor. Back home though, neither Robin nor I can remember any write-ups on anything remotely related to it, including the stuff that led the scientists here to figuring it out. Except, there should have been, now that we know what to look for. Even the work that Vegapunk and the others did on it was illegal, and is still top-secret years later."

"So you believe the World Government's covering it up, just like they covered up the Void Century," Brook continued.

"Yes! Maybe that we'll find proof that all intelligent life started out from the same common ancestor, and then spread across the globe."

Although evolution failed to explain why some Humans back in their universe had useless wings, horns, goat ears, etcetera. He saw no way that those really helped the 'survival of the species.' Certainly not for the generational effort involved.

"Meaning that we were all, even the Celestial Dragons, originally born equal," finished the skeleton. "Certainly possible."

"Definitely," agreed Jinbe. "Although we must be careful to not jump to conclusions about the World Government. For all its evil, we cannot assume every strange event is part of one of their dark conspiracies. Overestimating them can be just as dangerous as underestimating them."

The ex-Warlord was silent as he continued to process these bombshells. Eventually, "We'll have to find a way to explain this to Luffy." Good luck with that.

The world 'mystery' would have to feature extensively.

"All things considered though, I believe that the fact the Humans of both our worlds are so alike, and yet so different, is the greater issue."

"Well, we're certainly learning more and more here," Brook said with a happy tone.

"Yep!" clapped Chopper. "As much as we need to get back home, I'm still having fun learning so much! I can't wait to tell others about all of this! Like Law!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

"So what was last night's film about?" asked a fully recovered Usopp (Luffy had been going easy on him really). He had been so busy yesterday with some new potential plant hybrids with Poison Ivy, that they had lost track of time and missed it. Or at least he had. Poison Ivy only joined them for movie night if Harley dragged her along. Or Luffy.

Usopp figured she would be joining them regularly in the near future.

Besides, it was not exactly a project they could leave unattended. Their newest product of delicate crossbreeding required regular attention to ensure it did not eat the other flora. Or cement.

 _. . . I'm going to double-check Maureen knows not to go into that greenhouse. . . . Or any of them for that matter._

"Oh, it was _awesome_!" panted Sanji. "It was about these three beautiful angels who go around beating people up and being spies and totally incredible! I'd be beaten up by them any day!"

 _That might explain a few things_ , Usopp sweatdropped. Well, no. Sanji did not get off on pain, just attention from women. Especially pretty ones.

Coughing, he redirected his focus back to safer topics. "Oh, right, now I remember hearing about it. 'Charlie's Angels,' right? I think Harley said they work as private investigators for a guy named Charlie."

"Yeah," Sanji flatly said, pulling out a cigarette. "There was something about that going on." His gaze became lustful again. "Imagine me having ladies like that working for me! Oooh, or maybe—" he paused to check no one native to this universe was in earshot "—some of the ones we already know!

"Like Pudding!"

 _The master actress, charming and blushing her way through the crowds._

 _Three eyes narrowed in careful concentration as she ruffled through the mind of her unconscious mark._

 _Glaring with a sharp, chilling beauty as she shot her way through a horde of goons._

 _Princess Charlotte Pudding!_

"Viola!"

 _Dancing tantalizingly before a large assembly of men, every eye on her._

 _Seeming to be staring out into open space with her hands over her eyes, reading the details of critical documents from four kilometers away._

 _Dancing through a crowd of men, except this time with a knife in either hand._

 _Princess Riku Viola!_

"And Viv—"

"Bon-chan!" cried Luffy.

 _The tall and proud transvestite making his way through any party and fortress disguised as one of their officers. Finding excuses to touch the faces of others so he could turn into them as necessary._

 _Being in a judicial court wearing someone else's body, as he gave a tearful 'confession' to send a criminal mastermind to jail for life._

 _Laughing as his Ballet Kenpo tore through all the muscular tough guys trying to stop him._

 _Bentham, a.k.a. Mr. 2 Bon Kurei._

The newly arrived Luffy continued to chatter on. "And they could be Sanji's Angels, going off to do totally awesome spy missions together!"

Usopp ducked under the table to cover his mouth. If Sanji caught him laughing . . . he was a dead man.

Twitching in horror as his brain tried to kill itself at the images of the Okama dancing alongside those two lovely, real angels, Sanji managed to regain a semblance of composure.

Fighting his urge to puke, he grabbed his Captain by the shirt collar and dragged him through the air. Wrenching the door open, the cook threw him at the first person he saw. "Clayface! Take this sicko someplace else and keep him entertained before I kill him!"

Glancing down at the giggling teen in his muddy arms, Clayface did the prudent thing and beat a hasty retreat.

 **!JUSTICE!**

With a concerned frown, Nami knocked on the door to Robin's private office.

"Come in, Nami," the owner called out.

Totally unsurprised that her best friend and surrogate sister knew who it was, she walked right in.

Nico Robin's private office was not what many would expect for someone of her reputation and status.

Master assassin. Beacon of hope to the Revolutionary Army. The puppet master who managed the Straw Hats growing financial empire and intelligence network.

Because above all else she was the Straw Hat's archaeologist.

Which meant she was supposed to know any relevant history.

The small room held only a single desk and two chairs, with thick books piled everywhere. Stacks of paper covered the desk, yet right now she was sitting with her fingers laced together, thinking.

At the tender age of eight, the older woman had earned the distinguished title of Scholar, this world's equivalent of a full doctorate professor. Ergo, memorizing and bringing together stray pieces of data in her mind was literal child's play for her. What some called a Mind Palace.

As a fellow prodigy, Nami could properly appreciate all that.

Plopping down into the comfortable seat, Nami placed amongst all the papers her own contributions: a thick folder, and an animal encyclopedia with a few sheets of paper tucked inside.

Opening her eyes, Robin looked at Nami's expression, and sighed as she saw confirmation written there. "I see." The concern on her face made the redhead a little nervous.

Ever since they had reunited after that painful, two year separation, the raven haired woman had become far more open about her emotions. That said, her response to ominous news was generally a smile, and a cheerful suggestion as to how it could get worse. Or grim threats of her own. Serious, contemplative silence was out of character.

"Robin, what do you know? And, well, how long has this being going on?"

She was well aware that there were many things Robin did not tell them back home, except that was okay since none of them really cared about what she had done when she had been on her own, or about the ancient secrets she kept safe. They were, as hard as it may be for an outsider to comprehend, unimportant.

Now though, it was apparent that there were details warranting further attention by her and the rest.

"Nothing concrete," Robin said. "Just a growing list of coincidences that I cannot explain."

She picked up the folder Nami had brought, and looked through it in surprise, as it was full of sheets and sheets of paper covered in fine, precise equations. "What is this?"

Now Nami perked up a bit. "Well, y'know how I'm the best navigator there is? Period?"

(Or close enough. Besides, at the rate they were going, by the time they were done claiming the One Piece, most of the rival pirate crews would be trashed along with their own navigators, so there went the competition.)

(Or _had_ been going, since now they were stuck here and not in the New World!)

"Of course," Robin genuinely smiled. "I daresay, you even taught the people of Weatheria a thing or two."

"Maybe," she cheekily grinned. "I certainly left with all their secrets."

(Not that it had been hard. The nice old men there had not even been trying to hide them.)

Her expression became harder, "As well as some of their deepest questions and concerns. They've been studying meteorology all over the world, and still had some pretty serious mysteries. Since coming here, to this place, and learning what they know, when I first started figuring out their meteorology, a lot of it made no sense at all."

"Because our worlds are so different?" offered Robin, except that Nami knew her well enough to know that even without this context it was clear there was more to that question then readily appeared.

Rubbing her forehead, Nami confessed, "When we first got here, we thought this place was messed up. Because it didn't follow the rules we were used to. Except I knew that there had to be some sort of fundamental similarities between universes, or else we wouldn't be able to survive here." She groaned at the memory of all her work. Learning all that new information, including entirely new fields of study, had been incredibly trying for even her genius intellect to soldier through. "Honestly, if it wasn't for Franky doing similar stuff to get us home, I probably would've given up already."

"I've talked to him about it," Robin quietly said. "Their understanding of the underlying structure of the universe, of so many scientific fields," she shrugged, "it's impressive."

"And forced me to consider," she sighed in turn, "that looking at things from their perspective might be the right idea. That the truth was that _we_ had not fully understood our _own_ world . . ."

Silence reigned for a minute, before Robin gently touched her arm, jolting out of her reverie. Coughing into her fist, Nami gave her report:

"On some level, they are the same. The Blues," the four calmest and oceans, "are pretty much what we've got here on a global scale. Their explanations for how the weather works though were big surprises, and it took a lot of work," she gestured at the thick pile of sheets, "to figure out how to merge Weatheria's equations with this world's."

"Oh?" Now Robin looked more impressed. Which she should. Proper Navigation was not just an art, it was a science too.

"Yeah, for example, my first big surprise –and this is apparently pretty basic knowledge here— was that the moon's gravity influences tides." The archaeologist did look surprised at that. While Robin was no expert, she had been forced to learn how to navigate herself over the years, and had never heard of _that_ before. Especially since . . .

"Yeah, I know. I guess Haredas and his fellow weather scientists just spent too much time looking down from their sky island, and never up. I've gone over the math though, and it checks out."

"So that's why you've been so busy lately," Robin concluded. "You've been teaching yourself all the relevant math for this."

"And a pain it was too. Especially since . . ."

"Especially since we have _seven_ celestial satellites," Robin finished. "Clover and the other scholars back home in Ohara had a big model of the planet in the middle of the library."

While a little thrown off by the carefully precise words, Nami nodded. "Uh huh. And you know how useless they are for trying to navigate."

Those seven bodies, much smaller than the local moon here, skimmed through the night sky at irregular orbits (which she now believed was from their individual gravity influencing each other) which not only made them impossible to use to navigate at night, but also kept blocking off the stars. One of the various reasons travelling by the star-charts on the Grand Line had never really caught on.

"I couldn't be precise," she admitted. "But I plugged in what I could remember about the satellites, and made some estimates about their composition and mass, and other stuff. Needed Franky to build me a computer to help, but the results do vaguely confirm this."

Yes, 'Cat Burglar' Nami was just that much of a genius. Live with it.

Robin looked impressed again, yet Nami cut in before her friend could say anything. "Confirms for the Blues at least.

"They do nothing to explain why on the Grand Line you can go from bright sun and no breeze to dark clouds and full-force tornadoes in literally 3 seconds flat –and yes, we both know I am unfortunately being perfectly accurate about that—, nor the Calm Belt.

"The best I can figure there is that somehow all the gravitational pulls are cancelled out near the equator, which contributes –and this is obviously not the full explanation— to the lack of currents or tides in the Calm Belt. Except then they're somehow concentrated and amplified within the Grand Line?

"Ugh! It makes no sense!

"Seriously! I just finished reading up about the magnetic poles of this world, and apparently they have a 'North' and 'South' one, one positive and one negative, meaning there is only one 'North.' For whatever reason, we seem to have _two_ North poles back home. Or two positive magnetic poles. So while a compass to the North of the Grand Line points North, if you were under the Grand Line the needle would point straight south. If you ignore how this violates fundamental rules of physic, it helps explain why a compass is useless smack dab in the middle with the Grand Line, as the needle is being pulled simultaneously in two different directions! And that's without getting into the issue of how the individual islands there are all individual miniature magnetic poles as well!"

She stopped to suck in a deep breath, and Robin calmly said, "And that is why proper Navigators are so prized. I honestly don't fully understand how the Barto Club has lasted as long as they have."

Snorting, Nami said, "Well, as Luffy proves, something special looks after fools."

Giggling, Robin offered, "Or by their hero worship of him, some of his luck has rubbed off onto them."

Then the archaeologist became serious once more, "What is your overall conclusion from what you've learnt?"

Tilting her head back, Nami stared up at the ceiling.

.

.

.

After five minutes she blew out a breath, and looked Robin square in the eye. "It's completely insane and implausible, and the more I learn, the more I don't understand how our planet even exists.

"Sometimes it even seems like we've come from some sort of fantasy lands, with islands in the skies, magical fruit, mermaids, princesses to rescue, and all the rest of it."

Her expression hardened. "And that is without a few other little tidbits I've come across that's been bugging me. Ones you should know about."

Sighing, Robin nodded. "Like how our seven moons back home are called: Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan? The exact same names as some of the planets of this solar system, and the two most well-known moons?

"Or are you talking about Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto?"

Slowly Nami ticked off her fingers. "Uranus and Pluton, two names of the Ancient Weapons back home."

"Actually," Robin corrected, "Neptune is the Roman name for the Greek god Poseidon, the name of the third Weapon. Moreover, the name of our world, _Gaea_ , is an older name for this one: _Earth_. Also from ancient Greek."

The archaeologist was visibly concerned by this revelation.

Nami could sympathize.

The Three Ancient Weapons; each able to destroy entire nations with ease. Named after deities of old to reflect their power.

Deities supposedly from _their_ world! **Not this one.**

How was it that two different universes, with (supposedly) no previous connection to each other, develop the same names for myths and legends?

It strained all credibility.

"Our worlds have likely interacted before," she softly concluded.

Robin solemnly nodded.

"There's more, isn't there? That's why you had me look through this encyclopedia on animals, and list every breed of Mink I saw."

(The moon Moon was the one that empowered their furry allies, as well as being the one that a certain crazy, wannabe god had wanted to reach. Which made sense as it was the biggest, brightest, and closest to the planet. Could that even be the basis for prevalent myths about werewolves in this universe?)

"Correct. You had more time to meet everybody. Still, from what I observed, each and every one of them was based upon lions, dogs, giraffes, monkeys, and other species found on Earth, yet none of them exhibited traits of the more exotic creatures of Gaea. Like Cloud Foxes, Linear Foxes, or the komainu of Wano.

"It is the same with the many Zoan Devil Fruits. Between what I've memorized of the official catalogues, what we have all experienced ourselves, and even the SMILE Devil Fruits that we fought on Wano, I am fairly familiar with that class of Devil Fruit. All of them are based solely on animals that are also found on Earth. Even the results of Ancient Zoan Fruits could be found within the paleontology here, and the Mythical Zoans have connections to local mythology as well."

Rubbing her forehead, Nami tried to think of any alternatives. "What if it really is just the result of two different planets developing similarly in some ways?"

Forehead actually showing creases now, Robin shook her head. "There's many other examples, if not as dramatic. Moreover, there are growing questions about our own world. For instance, I've been confused about how our entire planet has the same language, even isolationist Wano having only a few differences, while this planet has dozens and dozens of them. There's . . . too many questions."

". . . We're going to have to tell Luffy about this, aren't we?"

Both of them were well aware that while their Captain was far from the smartest book on the shelf (and given his level of education it would be a miracle to see him actually _read_ a book), he was still a lot smarter than he appeared.

Which was not to say they would not have to simplify their long, long, loooooong lectures for him. One that would have to be more substantial than: 'This mystery means our world makes no sense. The end.'

". . . Yes."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Clayface was rather proud of his choice of movie to watch with Luffy.

Make no mistake, film selection was both a critical and risky enterprise with these sorts of critics.

Zoro rejoiced in bloody violence, while the others complained. Romance was a no-go, with Nami leading the pack in mocking the (often comedic) attempts to form a relationship.

Then there was _Indiana Jones_ and _Tomb Raider_ . . .

He shuddered in memory in a way that even Batman had never managed to make him feel.

When Nico Robin had seen one of each film, right then and there Clayface knew she had not been bluffing about once having been actively complicit in the attempted murder of thousands of people.

Darkly livid, each time she had chewed out the 'so-called archaeologists' who kept 'destroying precious ruins,' in clipped, coldly precise terms that left everyone else shivering.

If not for Harley and Chopper's puppy-dog eyes, she would have even banned the original _Star Wars_ films just because Harrison Ford was in them. Now _that_ would have been a tragedy.

(It was clear she had still given serious thought to tracking down all the cast and crew for both series, to make them suffer for the crime of 'teaching impressionable children that it is fine to destroy priceless historical artifacts!')

Still, Clayface felt justifiably proud with his latest pick: _Pirates of the Caribbean_.

After making their escape from Sanji, he and Luffy were watching the third one, _Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End_.

As anticipated, Luffy had loved the idea of freedom loving, pirate protagonists.

So both of them were chomping through a pile of hot dogs and bags of popcorn, having the time of their lives.

It gave Clayface a funny feeling in his chest to feel so at ease with someone else once more.

One thing did catch his attention though. "Hey, Luffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Is your whole body rubber? Even your teeth?"

"Huh? That's right! How'd you guess?"

"I was just wondering why you chose to swallow your food so much."

Annoyance flashed across Luffy's face, yet Clayface knew it was not directed at him. "Ugh, uh huh. It was a real pain when it first happened, since they couldn't really bite anything. I figured out how to get my jaw just right so I could chew again, which I like. Heck, I bit through steel bars once! It's just that it's still nice sometimes to just swallow whole and taste it go down like that." He cocked his head. "Were you the same when you were first made into clay?"

Sighing, Clayface nodded, realizing he should have known this would bring back bitter memories. "Yep," he simply said, before turning his attention back to what Captain Jack Sparrow – _Although Johnny Depp's overrated_ , the ex-actor knew—was up to.

They were nearing the climax of the film as the Nine Pirate Lords were assembled to decide what the Brethern Court was to do. Jack was advocating they fight a war against the approaching fleet of the tyrannical East India Trading Company.

Captain Barbossa, Jack's ex-friend and temporary ally derided that suggestion, saying that Jack always ran away, leading to a little comedy routine until the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea claimed:

 _"I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit that here now that is what we all must do: We must fight . . . to run away."_

The other pirates quickly broke out into shouts of agreement, until Barbossa ruined their fun.

 _"As per the code,"_ said he, _"an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the Pirate King."_

What followed was an extended scene as the book containing the pirate's code was brought forth, but Clayface missed it as a snort of contempt caught his attention. Looking at Luffy, he was surprised by the derision on his usually sunny face. Like he was watching a bunch of children merely playing at being pirates.

So confused was Clayface, that he merely missed the next major part, as the French Pirate Lord spoke up. _"There has not been a King since the first Brethren Court, and that is not likely to change!"_

 _"Not likely,"_ agreed the intimidating keeper of the Code.

 _"Why not?"_ said Elizabeth Swann, played by Keira Knightley, an actress that the man who had once been the famed star Matthew 'Matt' Hagen, also thought overrated.

Gibbs, whose character generally served to provide exposition, dutifully answered, " _Because the Pirate King is elected by popular vote—"_

 _"—and each pirate only votes for hisself,"_ finished Barbossa.

"Turn it off," scoffed Luffy.

Really surprised now, Clayface still just paused the movie. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Tch. If you have to ask, then you also don't know anything about pirating," Luffy dismissed, looking for an untouched bag of popcorn.

"Hey now! I take exception to that!" snapped Clayface. "When I was an actor, I always made a point to carefully research my roles to get into the proper mind for them. That includes being a pirate!"

"That so?" mumbled Luffy, clearly not really paying attention.

"That's right! I studied all the famous ones, especially the ruthless and bloodiest like Blackbeard, and—"

 _Clayface looked Death in the eye._

Gone was the cheery, and easy going, so-called 'Captain' of the most powerful band of super-villains he had ever met. A guy who seemed to only hold that title because he was the strongest, and maybe because people like Robin and Zoro were humouring him.

Now he saw the Monster.

Dark, expressionless, with eyes that stabbed into his very soul while emitting an aura of violence that scared him more than he had ever known in his life.

This,

This,

 _This_ was the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Here and now he knew why people might hear the title 'Straw Hat' and know not mockery, but **_fear._**

A relentless presence that would never stop in search of its goal, and heaven help any who got in the way of him or his family.

His nakama.

"What did you say?" asked the emotionless voice.

For all that the Gotham supervillain towered over and out-massed the teen before him, he was now overshadowed by a relentless force that crushed down all that came before it. Throat bobbing, it took him three attempts before he could find his voice. "I-I studied famous pirates like, like Blackbeard?"

"Who is that?"

"The m-most f-famous one! R-real name C-captain T-Teach!"

He blinked, and Luffy was gone.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Precisely one minute later

Never had Luffy ever called together an emergency meeting, so Robin and Nami both knew it was serious.

The utter cold fury on Luffy's expression was the next clue. They only saw him like that when people were insulting Ace, hurting brothers, slavery in general, pointless deaths, Akainu, and of course Blackbeard.

That Clayface was literally doing his best not to shiver in the corner of the kitchen where they all met, was the other clue. The other supervillains seemed nervous too at the transformation that had taken over the Captain, even though Robin knew they had all known Luffy was very powerful. It was only now that they were coming to terms with the terrifying _Will_ behind that power.

To the inhabitants of Earth, he gave a single, flat order:

"Tell me about every pirate in the world you know of. Not actors or stuff like that."

So the names spilled out, especially when privateers (which sounded a lot like the Seven Warlords' system) were added in. Certain ones quickly came to stand out:

Captain Drake.

Captain Kidd.

Captain Hawkins.

Captain Bonney.

Captain Teach. A.K.A. Blackbeard. Except his full name was either Edward Teach, or Edward _Thatch_. Robin was fully aware that the former Fourth Division Commander who _Marshal D_ Teach had murdered, had been named Thatch. Not to mention how Whitebeard's true name had been Edward Newgate.

The other names were those of fellow members of the Worst Generation. The newest era of rival captains who had thrown the status quo of the Golden Pirate Era into such turmoil.

 _Most of them are the same surnames, with the exception of Eustass Kidd. Except his epithet is 'Captain' for reasons that were never made clear. Hence, 'Captain Kidd.'_

"What does the name 'Trafalgar,' mean to you?" she asked.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I know! I know! Ask me!" cried Harley, jumping up and down with her hand raised, throwing off the grim atmosphere. Of course, living with the Joker probably meant she was fairly resistant to it.

"Yes, Harley?"

"It's the name of a famous naval battle!"

"How famous?"

"Super famous! Like, I don't know how ya don't know about it! It was for the Napoleonic Wars and junk!"

"I see. 'Capone'?"

"Famous gangster. Like, _the_ most famous."

For the rest of the Worst Generation, Killer's name was too generic, and nothing concrete was gained for Apoo or Urouge. Still, it was more than enough to see the pattern.

"Robin," Luffy quietly said. "I need answers."

"Yes, Captain."

Like a switch, the sunny Luffy was back, and he turned to Clayface. "Sorry about that. You wanna try a different movie instead?"

"Uh, sure. Uhm, uh, maybe something light like Disney?"

"Oooh," now Maureen was getting involved. "Me too!"

"Me three!" waved Harley.

Chuckling, Luffy nodded. "Of course you guys can come! C'mon Mauri, let's make some more popcorn!"

With that, Robin slipped away.

 **!JUSTICE!**

A slaughter.

Fish in the barrel.

That was what it was like for the band of whalers.

Laws, licenses, and bribes meant nothing before the rage of Brook and Jinbe.

And Chopper too obviously, but frankly he was a candle compared to the inferno of his friends' wrath.

"P-please!" whimpered one of the poacher captains.

"Silence!" hissed Brook, before knocking the man unconscious. As tempting as it may be, while the ships would be scuttled, the men would be left alive. An investigation would be conducted afterwards, and doubtless evidence of the extent of their poaching would be uncovered. Of course, Brook was not so naïve to assume that whichever authorities did do said investigation would not be the very same ones Robin had reported had been paid off; however he _was_ confident that said crooks would not want a similar 'visit' if they did not report the proper truth.

Green activists had watched the savagery with open-mouthed terror, having come to protest and record the crimes against nature. Instead they had gotten a demonstration of Nature's Champions.

They were equally stymied by the sight of Chopper _talking_ to the whales, and giving slow, measured, and repeated directions. It even seemed like the whales were _listening and talking back_!

"Who are you!?"

The regal demand carried across the waves, and the Straw Hats turned to see a muscular, blonde man standing half out of the water.  
Aquaman.

Jinbe was not impressed.

Far from it.

He had grown up under King Neptune, and more importantly had seen the greatness of Queen Otohime. Compared to what she had accomplished for peace, Aquman was a spoiled child. One who chose to dictate through threats of violence to the United Nations, oblivious to what kind of future that led to.

The Darkness that it created within one's own people.

"Those who were forced to do the job you were incapable of doing!" he barked, before turning his back. With a quick command to a remote, Franky's jet settled down beside them, ramp lowered to board.

With a splash, Aquaman leapt out of the water to land in front of him—

—so Jinbe grabbed him mid-air and tossed him aside.

Landing lightly on his feet, Aquaman glared daggers at them, steeling himself for a fight. In all likelihood he had only meant to get in their faces to continue dictating to them, yet Jinbe was in no mood. The mission was complete, and it was time to go.

Besides, maybe a taste of humility might be of help. For all that he was a pirate, he owed it to this world's oceans at least.

So he stopped to stare at man, while Brook and Chopper casually boarded and prepped the plane. "Who do you think you are?" Then turned to walk up the ramp himself.

"I'm the King of the Seas!" roared Aquaman.

Jinbe never looked over his shoulder as his calm voice fired back, "Then act like it!"

With a roar, the jet took off, leaving only a glaring monarch behind.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Robin had retreated back to her room to think, trying to put all the pieces together.

All she knew for sure was that they were past the point of mere 'coincidences.' The signs were adding up like a glaring message.

Or maybe a sick parody.

Either way, she was not sure of the entirety of what it was trying to convey.

At the very least, she knew that when they had first arrived to this alternate dimension, Luffy had been explicit that they should minimize contact between their two realities. Let them remain in their natural state. As time had gone by though, they had found more and more interesting discoveries, and decided that some should come back with them instead. On their terms.

Now it was looking like they were not the first.

That someone had crossed over at some point, and a terrifying exchange had been made. There were just too many possibilities however.

Were Devil Fruits really magic in origin? They were the only things that resembled it back home, yet here there were many signs of it.

Did the super-advanced Pluton originally come from here? Or even an alien civilization, landing on this world in the past, and appear for the shipwrights of Water 7 to claim as their own?

The power of Poseidon was strongly reminiscent to Aquaman's, which begged the question of how deep the possible parallels between Atlantis and Fishman Island went.

Neptune?

The names of the Worst Generation that concerned her so much were largely family names, so maybe it was possible that an ancestor took up that name in honour of pirates and criminals they knew and respected? Maybe even passing down some of that history?

All this and more fired through her mind, yet the darkest and most terrifying stayed at the forefront.

 _. . . Is it possible that Marshal D Teach is from Earth?_

Everyone had always assumed he took his name as a reference to Whitebeard, and he was not the first to do so either. But what were the chances it was also the name of the most infamous pirate of this dimension?

From what she had already learnt about Earth's Blackbeard, he was rather dissimilar to the Emperor they knew. Except, Earth's had been romanticized after his death, and became the inspiration for an archetypal pirate in works of fiction across many genres. Maybe that was the basis of Marshal's choice of identity?

His past was a complete mystery. Perhaps his entire name was a fallacy.

More importantly . . . He was capable of feats beyond what anyone should be capable of. To be able to harvest and use multiple Devil Fruits, his supposedly 'odd' biology, and a few other curious, or even supposedly impossible, feats.

 _It's not impossible_ , Robin thought as she admitted her greatest fear. _That he could be from this world . . . and a metahuman._

 _Someone with powers beyond just that of the Devil Fruits and Haki._

 _If so, what other secrets might he have?_

There were so many mysteries piling up, that Robin did not even know where to start.

Then her resolve hardened. This was an issue of history, and she was the archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates. She would find the answers for her Captain.

No matter who or what got in her way.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Silently the stolen government stealth jet came to stop on the beach.

From it came two terrifying villains:

Parasite, one of Superman's greatest foes.

Scarecrow, the master of fear.

However, even they were nervous in the presence of the figure in front of them.

"Alrighty, let's get this show on the road."

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **I know some of you are disappointed at not having Marshal D. Teach here, and I know you were hoping for something more exciting than a bunch of talking. Action starts next chapter.**

 **Still, the main point of this chapter was introducing some serious elements that will have major implications in the future, including regarding the Blackbeard we all know and loathe.**

 **More importantly, this chapter marks a departure from some of my original plans, and some of my earlier Review answers are no longer accurate. And no, I am not saying which ones because that would be spoiling. More will make sense as this story continues on, including hopefully more on why I chose the title for this chapter.**

 **.**

 **Poison Ivy's little thought about 'Pamela Carlyle' is from the Batman: The Animated Series episode 'House & Garden.' Not mandatory, just if you are curious.**

 **.**

 **While the reference to anime protagonists is meant for humour, it also highlights why I am accelerating the pace of the Justice League timeline. In canon, there were weeks or months between episodes, except in that sort of timeframe the Straw Hats' growth would continue, and threaten to make them too overpowered.**

 **.**

 **All the stuff about Brook's 'biology' is thanks to MasterQwertster, who has given a lot of thought to their favourite character.**

 **.**

 **The comments about Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley do not reflect my own opinion. They are those of a man embittered by how he was thrown out of the acting business despite formerly being a grand sensation.**

 **.**

 **I know that _Pirates of the Caribbean 4_ may have been a better intro for Blackbeard, except if I was going to do that film I would really want to compare their mermaids to 'real' ones (as Luffy and Co. define it), and that would come after Blackbeard was revealed and the subsequent diversion. Also, I own nothing of those films.**

 **.**

 **Yes, the knowledge of the similarities to the Worst Generation names are incomplete, except I am not expecting knowledge like that to be known by the Straw Hat's new allies. Even Clayface would have studied European pirates more given that is the sort of roles he was shown doing. That includes how some members of the Worst Generation have names drawn from two sources. Robin will have a chance to research further later, yet she still has plenty to go by already.**

 **.**

 **The adventures of Aquaman and Jinbe will continue!**

 **-0-**

 **Next Chapter: 'Injustice for All'**

 **(An adaption of the Justice League episode by the same name, which may be helpful to catch up on beforehand, even if just with the wiki.)**

 **(Also recommended: The 'Justice League' episode: 'Secret Society.')**

 ** _I will do my best to ensure that none of the recommended canon material is necessary to understand the chapter. I am just generally one of those people who are sticklers about having all the source material, or reading/watching all the prequels before starting a new story._**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	11. Injustice for All

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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 **Guest Review answers :-D**

Evil Reviewer

Yep, Terry McGinnis, who is indeed awesome, is part of the DCAU. Hmm, have to see if I can make sure he is still born though . . .

Fair point for Mr. Freeze. Will have to consider it. As for the rest, that does not sit with "no killing" for me for Batman. Also, if have a threat like Lord Death Man to deal with, you just let Superman and his Phantom Zone, or the Green Lantern Corps and their prisons, handle it.

If I do any time travel, I would make clear that history was in flux. As in no guarantee that things are pre-determined.

That whole arc with Aquaman happened already. He has only one hand now. Also, when assassinated he basically went looking for revenge, and killed his brother (although that was also for trying to kill Aquaman's baby son). Otohime had a completely different reaction to being killed, or being shot in general.

I had considered Catwoman for this story, but honestly she has never really been a team player. Even with the Bat Family, it always seems more that she is doing so out of her relationship (which I will not attempt to define) with Batman. With her helping out the rest of Clan out of respect for him, and also because she grows closer to them over time.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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wormrep

Cutting up the chapters more now. As for the double standard about females abusing males, planning to look at that a bit later on.

.

I am not familiar with that storyline with Poison Ivy, but not overly surprised. She has consistently demonstrated she is capable of incredible stuff with her plants.

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I am also not all that familiar with the Red, outside of how it is basically the primordial force of animal life or something. As the Red and Rot are not of the DCAU though, that will not be happening.

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Nice to hear you appreciate the level of detail I did with examining both Earth and Gaia. And yeah, even in the DCAU there are loads of possibilities to what is going on.

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The Straw Hat's allies will indeed be questioning more on the significance of Luffy and Robin's questions, but at the time they were unwilling to press the issue. Yes, even Harley.

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The reason the Straw Hats have not encountered Aquaman yet is frankly because they have not really spent much time at sea. I know, they are seafaring pirates, and it seems like the logical place for them to hang out. The reason is (and yeah, I really should explain this more in an upcoming chapter) is basically it is rather unpleasant to be on the water when it is so _not_ the seas they know and love. To the point being on dry land is generally preferable to being on such a 'fake' ocean.

The issue is that we are dealing with the DCAU Aquaman. In his focus episode, 'The Enemy Below,' which happened already in the timeline, he stormed up to the United Nations, messing up traffic, alone, and dictated terms to the other nations. Basically he was aggressive, isolationist, and frankly pig-headed before he starts getting some character development, and remains so for a while yet. Now the _comic's_ version of Aquaman, specifically the more recent stuff (which I admit I need to catch up on), is the kind of guy Jinbe would shake the hand of, commend his hard work bridging the gap between the surface world and that of Atlantis, and maybe give a polite, well-natured reprimand about putting too much on his shoulders with some suggestions to make it easier. By the end of the day the Straw Hats would probably be honoured guests of Atlantis, while Aquaman makes a call to the Justice League to tell them there has been some serious miscommunication between them and the 'pirates.'

DCAU Aquaman has a lot fewer abilities than other versions do too, and was lacking his magical trident to boot. As for Jinbe throwing him around, Aquaman is definitely tough, but also misjudged how strong Jinbe (and his deceitfully small and thin arms) is. By jumping in like that he put himself at a momentary disadvantage that Jinbe took advantage of, making Aquaman briefly pause. Given another moment, Aquaman would have resumed fighting, and made a better showing, and shown why he is the kind of guy who can go up against Wonder Woman and win. Note I am not saying who would actually _win_ between him and Jinbe though ;-P

On a related note, the comic's version of Mera is dangerous, one-woman army, who would indeed be a serious threat to the Straw Hats. Indeed, to _all_ the Straw Hats if she played her cards right, and they did not take her seriously enough. The DCAU version of Mera is more akin to a traditional Disney Princess . . .

But you are correct that Aquaman's scene was overly trimmed. I will do my best to make up for it a bit in this chapter, but mainly in another major, upcoming episode of his.

I make no reference to the 2018 _Aquaman_ film because of how people may not have seen it yet. Although I do prefer his portrayal there over what we see in the _Justice League_ film.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Guest

Hmm, and interesting idea for Luffy to get a Power Ring but then throw it away once he learns about the responsibilities . . .

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Legianreader2003

Glad to hear you like this story so much, and sorry for the long updates. I have a bunch of other stories I am working on at the same time, as well as real-life responsibilities.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest

I honestly do not know the Joker from 'War of Riddles and Jokes' as well as I would like. Definitely going to have a charismatic and dangerous version of him though, and that seems like a good place to get ideas.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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skyader

You are actually closer than you realize ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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BlantonM

Extendable hammer definitely compelling, but very limited store of Dials. Honestly doubt they had many left even by the end of the timeskip since Usopp had most of them when he went through two years of survival training.

Hmmm, I had honestly not considered Superman, including Lord, using a blade. It is just so . . . not-Superman. Dude is so committed to his fists in any continuity, barring a special gun that non-lethally negates a special ability. As for Superman's power, yeah he is oodles weaker in the DCAU. The final episode though does make clear that he generally is holding way back still.

For Armament Haki, it will basically be like a layer of weightless armour to make punches hurt more, or make Superman's own punches even less effective (and you are definitely right about the rubber body). Observation Haki . . . yeah that is the key one. On the one hand Superman's useful attacks are useless if they cannot hit, but the dude can still move and *think* fast.

Also, not sure if you have checked the Reviews since then, but gdog1 wrote a Review in response to your own.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Tyler

LOL I _love_ that version of a reveal! Very tempted to do an omake of that! As for the "they're like anime characters," I could just not resist :-P Very happy to hear I am balancing the drama and humour well, as I feel that is one of the things that makes _One Piece_ such a success.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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YCG

An interesting idea, and I definitely see where you are coming from with the Endless. But I am not familiar enough with them to be confident about doing them, and I am very firmly keeping this within the DCAU with one secret, upcoming exception. Otherwise this story will become too complicated; especially for me! :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Anoneme

Glad to hear the dialogue is moving along well despite the lack of action, as well as the character interaction being up to snuff :-)

Yeah, the Worst Generation came from a lot of sources. Had not heard of that one before though, thanks :-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest

Glad this is becoming one of your favourite One Piece crossovers, and yes I plan to see it through to the end.

Right now the Straw Hats are a bit leery of bringing others with them, but probably would if asked. That said, someone would want to go, and some would not. Also while going there may be the chance for a new life for some, for others it would be dangerous; for instance Harley Quinn would be eaten alive in the New World and need a lot of protection.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

125b

I have all of this here less because of that, and more because either the Reviews I am responding to are Guest Reviews, or like you they have the PM function disabled. Otherwise yeah I respond to the Reviews with a PM. I appreciate people taking the time to leave a Review, and I get lots of excellent suggestions too, so I feel obliged to respond.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Justice

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Chapter 11: Injustice for All

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 _Previously:_

 _During the events of a male-targeting, lethal allergen, the female members of the Justice League briefly teamed up with members of the Straw Hats. In the aftermath, the heroes learnt that the pirates had been recruiting from the local super-villains. As incidents with the Straw Hats increased, as did the consequences of their actions, the League chose to expand their membership. Also, Jinbe briefly clashed with Aquaman, after he, Chopper, and Brook saved some whales from being hunted._

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 **Contains spoiler for manga chapter 903**

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This chapter is an AU of a DCAU episode by the same name.

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November 4

A dark night has fallen over Metropolis, held at bay by the lights of the skyscrapers rising high into the air. Towering above them all was headquarters of Lexcorp, and on the penthouse floor, an eerily, alien green light was pulsing.

"So this is how it ends," Lex Luthor casually said. He was resplendent in his signature business-suit, expression almost bored as he looked at the glowing, green stone of Kryptonite in his hand. A small piece, only about the size of his fist, yet so utterly decisive. "You know I've carried this around for years, waiting for just the right moment. But now that it's here, I almost feel . . . a little let down. _Almos_ t." He looked down at the figure before him:

Superman.

Writhing on a couch in agony at the radiation burning through him. Unable to speak as he grunted in pain, barely keeping himself from falling onto the floor.

It was anti-climactic really, after the numerous plots to kill this insufferable alien. All that money, those misguided fools and pawns with powers and weaponry, and other such schemes. Even just a few weeks ago he had tried doing it himself with a giant, remotely operated robot, only to fail. In the end, Lex had simply invited him over to 'discuss' something, and now it was all over.

Oh, there was still the Justice League to contend with, except he knew from his sources the rest were all occupied with some incident or other in Asia. Doubtless Batman would try and investigate, but there would be no evidence to be found. _Hmm, maybe I'll plant some so it seems the government is responsible? That way they can catch Batman snooping around their so-called 'secret' bases? It would be simplicity then to push for official censure of the whole team of do-gooders, if not prison time. Or perhaps something for that annoying Supergirl to find, sending her off in a violent frenzy to the point the League will be the ones forced to stop her? Ah the irony._

 _Meanwhile, I'll be able to advance my other projects. Especially with a new handy corpse to tinker with._

With a little ingenuity, he would have world conquest within a year. By that point the only question would be if he wanted sheep-like masses none the wiser, or cheering his name. Decisions, decisions.

"Oh, and weren't you supposed to be at the Metropolis General Hospital tomorrow?" he mocked. "Something about flying a kid dying of cancer around the world as his last wish?" Grunts were the only response, yet he could tell Superman was drawing the strength to say something. "Any last requests?"

"Luthor," weakly managed the Man of Steel, raising his head and a hand slightly. "I have to know. Those weapons you sold to the terrorists, how—"

"How did I get them through customs," interrupted Lex, a hint of contempt in his eyes. Honestly, nosey to the very end. Predictable really. Ah well, sniveling and begging would almost . . . cheapen the satisfaction. "A gift here, a bribe here," he idly gestured. "When money talks, people listen." He turned his back on his arch foe to walk away while tossing the Kryptonite from hand to hand. The view of the Metropolis from the window was most pleasant –a reminder of what would soon once more be entirely his. Moreover, a final message for how little he thought of Superman. "Like Stavros at the shipping company. Or Schneider the Interpol agent who looked the other way."

"Sounds you're going to have company in prison," cut in an ethereal –yet chillingly familiar— voice.

Whirling around to see who it was, Lex saw Superman standing tall and impossibly recovered!

Panicking, he rushed over to hold the green stone closer, believing he had gotten too far away.

Folding his arms unfazed, Superman merely glared.

"It can't be!" cried Lex, staring at the glowing stone for some kind of defect. "The Kryptonite!"

"Won't protect you any longer," 'Superman' said in that strange voice, until his form blurred and shifted into that of Martian Manhunter.

"NO!" shouted Luthor in shock and horror. _Why would he—!?_

"You're usually more careful, Lex," a hated voice said, revealing the entrance of Batman. Behind him, hovering and with his Ring held ready, was Green Lantern. "You slipped up."

"And you're going down hard," declared Green Lantern, aiming his Ring and forming a Construct which snatched away the Kryptonite, with Batman snagging it to put away into a pocket of his utility belt, cutting off the light and radiation.

 _They can't do this!_ raged Lex.

Except deep down he knew he was in significant trouble. Before, he had always escaped serious legal investigations only partially thanks to bribes and coercion –which had become increasingly difficult, with Superman flying about, as closeminded, straight-laced officials realized they could go to the alien to snitch about it, or how they knew others receiving gifts or being threatened. The other major reason being there had never been sufficient evidence incriminate him. Or that anything stolen from him would be inadmissible in court, thanks to his lawyers. Unfortunately, it was obvious these 'heroes' now thought they had what they needed. Never mind the necessary effort and planning to make him believe the Justice League was elsewhere, he knew Batman would not have made such a brazen move until he was confident he had all the angles covered.

Moreover, _Superman_ would not be involved unless he was sure it would work. For crying out loud, in the past Lex had openly boasted to the alien that all necessary evidence had already disappeared, knowing it would always be the 'heroes' word against his! Lex had threatened him when they first met! Because he could!

 _But I just confessed to aiding terrorism, and they have the names of two accomplices. Those weasels will squeal to Batman if the pressure's on them! And once they have that, they can keep pulling the thread to unravel more and more!_

"Mission accomplished," Batman said into a radio. The three heroes advanced on Lex as he backed away.

"So much for your image as a benevolent businessman," stated Martian Manhunter. "This is the end of an era."

Defiantly he exclaimed, "The end of _your_ era, maybe." He whipped out a remote, and pressed the button. He always had contingencies.

An automated escape craft appeared outside the window, and began firing upon the intruders.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

"Good to see you," nodded Hawkgirl as Batman entered the room. He had just arrived in his Batwing, and seemed unhurt. Not that something as insignificant as pain or injuries would stop him. Not for this.

"Any problems?" he brusquely asked.

"None. The FBI Director was satisfied with your recording of Luthor's confession, and got three judges to sign off on it. His hand-picked teams are already helping tear everything of Luthor's apart. Interpol's also coordinating, and sweeping up his international holdings."

That had been one of the critical steps in their whole strategy. For American law, evidence acquired by following a trail illegally obtained is inadmissible in court, and outright requires the defendant to be released, the charges dropped. Usually Batman's methods of breaking-and-entering as part of his regular routine were overlooked by Gotham's Police Department, and while the District Attorney had been initially opposed to it, she had come around in supporting him. (Being kidnapped by his Rogues Gallery had helped there). As the Justice League's successes grew, so did the willingness of certain parties to overlook any irregularities. The catch was that most of the time this was for clear-cut cases of dangerous criminals, while Lex Luthor was known to the public as a highly successful businessman, who regularly made very generous charitable donations.

Moreover, the complete fiasco with Cherry Blossom Medical, dampened enthusiasm for such tactics.

"Good. How was Flash?" Batman had never been concerned about Hawkgirl's role, as she had helped him map out their plan to take down one of the greatest criminals alive. As blunt and direct as she was in the field, she was also a brilliant strategist—he had yet to beat her at chess. Thankfully, the upper members of the FBI, and the local District Attorney, had been suspicious of Lex Luthor for years. Lack of evidence aside, they had been concerned that if the man was arrested, it would create a power vacuum in the criminal underworld would do. Without Luthor keeping things orderly, crime might actually escalate as some thug tried to take the man's throne. Superman could not be everywhere after all.

And yes, intentionally causing just that sort of crisis if he fell, was _exactly_ the sort of thing a sore loser like Luthor would conceive of. Especially since his insufferable ego had taken an increasing pounding at the hands of the Man of Steel.

Hawkgirl had dismissed such concerns as just being lazy, while Batman had more diplomatically (relatively speaking) contributed his own insight from his experience of Gotham City being in exactly that sort of situation. He had taken out his share of crime bosses and madmen after all. The trick lay in anticipating how people would try and fill the vacuum, and prune them accordingly. Done correctly, law and order would actually spread.

That was not to say it would be easy, but they had plans and contingencies in place, with law enforcement having just been briefed. Working together, they would all pull it off.

"He did well," she assured him with a flicker of what could have been a proud grin. "Didn't let himself get distracted, kept things moving during the meeting, and broke the tension whenever it came up."

Content to hear the speedster did his job, Batman turned his attention to sorting out his files for his final briefing for the Director. Afterwards it was back to LexCorp to begin pruning everything rotten there, and exposing all the other infestations. As much as Luthor was a genius, he refused to believe that there was no physical evidence lying around.

Cocking her head in curiosity, Hawkgirl said, "I know you brought Luthor into custody, so where's Superman?"

"He's busy," he grunted. "Luthor tried to escape, and might've even gotten away, except he suffered some kind of attack that made him collapse. Possibly a stroke. Superman rushed him to a doctor."

"Really." She seemed a touch dubious and resigned. "Isn't the man his worst enemy?"

 _No, that would be Darkseid_ , Batman knew. From a few, careful verbal probes, he knew that the New God of Apokolips was perhaps the only being that Superman outright _hated_.

As much as Luthor was a persistent, homicidal, apathetic, megalomaniacal thorn in the side of the Man of Steel, he was still . . .

"He still sees some good in the man," admitted Batman. "Or at least regrets the good Luthor is failing to do with his life."

Truthfully, while Batman thought that was being overly naïve, it did nothing to diminish his respect for his frien—teammate. Indeed, it was that very idealism that made him into the greatest hero of them all. For all that Clark called what they did a 'never-ending battle,' he had also shown Batman that Justice did not have to come from the darkness.

Misreading his silence, Hawkgirl observed, "Sometimes I don't understand why you two get along so well. Sometimes I wonder if his powers make him forget how vulnerable other people are. How they can be hurt by people like Luthor. That's he's too alien to understand."

At any other time Batman would have kept quiet. Here and now though, well, she was a member of the Justice League, and as exhausting as it was working with other people, a little sign of trust might help the team. Even if he was only a part-timer. Besides, she had to understand about Superman.

"No," he corrected. "In many ways, in his civilian life, he is the most Human of us all. Then . . . he shoots fire from the skies, and it is difficult not to think of him as a god. And how fortunate we all are that it does not occur to _him_.

"He grew up separate from the rest of the world, learning every day as he grew up how different he was from the rest of us. That he has the power to tear the world apart with just his pinky. And yet . . . every day of that childhood, every second . . . he had a choice, and he _chose_ to be _more_. To prove to everyone that heroes do exist. Just maybe one at first . . . except now more and more of us are stepping forward."

Despite herself, Shayera was impressed. Not only at this proof that Superman could inspire even someone like Batman, but also that she could swear that was the most words he had spoken at once since they first met.

 _Although even I feel myself moved by what he can do. Who knows, maybe he could've even found a way to end our war with the Gordanians before it went too far._

 _Still, a dead enemy is one who doesn't come back to cause trouble_.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Pointedly standing off to the side in Luthor's office, Green Lantern watched the FBI techs going over the businessman's personal computer. Now that they had a search warrant, they were looking for evidence to further indict the man. By the sounds of it, they had already found enough to begin freezing his bank accounts.

Truthfully, the League was not confident they would find all of either the money or potential evidence. Superman and Batman both agreed the mastermind would keep his most sensitive files off-site as precaution, as well as numerous, off-shore accounts under various aliases. Indeed, Batman had been very clear that he suspected that even if Luthor did not have a photographic memory, he would have memorized all of the most incriminating details possible. His mind being the safest, most trusted place for his secrets. Whatever records could be found, would more likely to be to show other people for various reasons, ranging from instructions to his scientists and henchmen, blackmail, or helping convince people he knew what he was talking about.

Nevertheless, the heroes were still expecting to find enough to arrest regular crooks, crime lords, senators, prison guards, corrupt cops and judges, etcetera.

So Green Lantern's job was to keep watch, and ensure no 'accidents' happened to all those computer files. Just in case someone wanted to hide something, or got greedy at the thought at what Luthor would reward them with.

After all, this was not just to tear out Luthor's criminal empire, but to make sure he was locked up for life as well. They needed to have solid proof beyond a recorded confession.

While they did not know why Luthor had suddenly collapsed while nearly escaping Superman, Green Lantern suspected it was a ploy to get help sympathy for the jury. Which only made it all the more essential to lock down any other legal loopholes from the man.

One of the most persistent problems for Batman in Gotham was that while he was able to keep apprehending criminals, the worst of his Rogue's Gallery would not receive the life sentences in maximum security prisons like the police or District Attorney wanted. Why? Because since Batman was not a recognized agent of the law, people like the Joker or Poison Ivy were sent straight back to Arkham Asylum in the hope they would be able to complete their rehabilitation.

 _Although I can't say I've ever heard of that place having a success story . . ._

Mentally shaking off that distraction, he resumed his work.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Lex Luthor came awake with a flutter of his eyelids, before focusing upon the one person he hated above all others. "YOU!"

Unfazed by the loathing being shot at him, Superman started talking about the doctor beside him, while memory flooded back to Luthor as he remembered his blazing escape from Lexcorp. It should have been perfect, with his hyper-advanced plane armed with missiles that could hurt even Superman!

Except . . . his had chest had started stabbing with pain . . . until he blacked out . . .

Any memories of Superman saving him from crashing were dismissed as hallucinations.

Automatically processing what was being said around him, he realized that the doctor was standing beside him now, trying to tell him something. Probably related to injuries from his failed escape that he could frame Superman for. He was half-naked for some reason after all. "No, I've got something to tell you! Whatever I said to the Martian won't stand up in court!" He held up a fist and began counting off fingers. "I'll get the best lawyers, the best witnesses, the best—!"

"LEX!" shouted Superman in an insultingly familiar manner. "None of that matters anymore," he said, sounding almost sad. "Listen."

"Mr. Luthor, you had a seizure," said Dr. Patel as he came over. "Has this happened to you before?" Turning his silent glare onto the probable hack questioning him, Lex said nothing, inviting him to give away more. Predictably, "My tests indicate you have a rare type of blood poison."

"Impossible," he stated, taking the proffered clipboard to read the notes.

"Remember that chunk of Kryptonite you carried around for years?" Superman said.

"What about it? Kryptonite only affects _you_ ," he said with contempt, pointing with the clipboard at the Kryptonian.

"Actually," said the doctor, "we're finding it affects Humans too, but only if they're exposed over a long period."

Eyes widening in horror as he realized the truth –how had he not considered that about _radiation!? Run some tests!?_ — and knew the seizure that had made him collapse before would happen again. It was very likely he was _dying!_

Breaking out of his stupor, he yelled with hate, "This is your fault! _All of it!_ " Throwing the clipboard at Superman impotently. "What's the treatment?" he demanded of the doctor. "Radiation? Chemo?"

"Unfortunately," the doctor looked away, "there is no cure."

"Then find one!" he ordered. "Price is no object."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do." He met Lex's eyes to confirm his worst fears. "It's terminal."

The weight of those words stopped him, and made him bow his head in contemplation. The truth of it all quickly became clear though, as he defiantly raised his chin, and flared his eyes to glare at his nemesis. "Happy, Superman?"

"Lex," the alien said, coming around the hospital bed to get closer. Sanctimoniously, "If there's anything I can do—"

"You've done more than enough," he cut him off, crossing his arms and closing his eyes to think.

He would find a way. He always did.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

Flash, a.k.a. Wally West, hummed to himself as he went through Batman's latest updates. That he was actually sitting down to handle a task, as opposed to goofing off and/or eating, might surprise people who did not know him well. The truth was, he was fully aware how important their jobs were. It was just that unlike _some_ people (*cough* Batman *cough*), he also knew the importance of letting yourself live a little, to keep yourself from snapping.

 _Although Bat's is already a crazed loner, so no luck there_ , he joked to himself.

Still, he had definitely been putting in more effort ever since his little bout with Luffy. As much as he knew the young man was a swell guy, the fact of the matter was that he had almost effortlessly beaten Flash. Worse, everyone else nearby had been too busy to help. His life had been totally and utterly in the hands of a self-proclaimed pirate.

That . . . had been an eye-opener. Now it was less goofing off, and more doing his best to pitch in. A little bit at a time.

Besides, as boring as reports might all sound, he admitted to being curious as to what Luthor had done with his company after he had woken up. Apparently he had left his chauffer and bodyguard in charge of it all!

Superman had been flabbergasted at that, as apparently the woman –Mercy Graves— had been neck-deep in everything alongside her boss. It was only when the big Boy Scout stopped to think about it, did he realize it was because she was the only one Luthor trusted to give back control of LexCorp to him when he 'cleared his name,' or whatever. Ergo, as a contingency, the man had ensured that nothing could be tied back to her. She was free to walk. _Although the longer she's in the top seat, the harder it might be for her to give it back,_ Wally noted.

With a sigh, he flipped through a few more pages, memorizing the important parts, before picking up the next file. _I'll let GL and the girls know the main stuff later_.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Superman was also catching up on some work in the Watchtower, within the Monitor Room. Although in his case he was looking through some of Luthor's personal files. Batman had confiscated a lot of it, yet left copies of psychological profiles on the Justice League. The Kryptonian suspected his friend had done so to leave a certain message, unaware at the time of how serious the billionaire's condition was.

Despite everything, it was painful to think about Luthor's upcoming death. All that potential just wasted. Even at the end, he apparently preferred withdrawing into bitterness, instead of taking one last chance to leave a positive mark upon the world. A stab at curing cancer for one.

Sadly, with the man shutting everybody out, there was nothing Clark could do about it. So best to turn to his own responsibilities. Such as his new reading material.

Even considering their source, he knew the value in an outside opinion, and tried to stay objective. After all, following the fiasco with Cherry Blossom Medical, Lois and others had been critiquing his actions more, and pointing out ways he could be doing better. Indeed, their subsequent encounters with the Straw Hats, had led to him, Diana, and some of the others to self-reflect more on the League's methods and outlook, which he believed to be important. Keeping an open mind, and learning where to grow, was essential for anybody, hero or not.

Using his own investigative skills, he could tell these files were mostly written by Luthor himself, with some proclaimed 'experts' contributing a little. Given some of the references made, some even worked for the US government. The way it was written up, he assumed it was meant to help convince readers to not trust the heroes, probably geared for an audience of politicians, meaning there was an undeniable bias in the words.

 _Although that might be me too,_ he reluctantly acknowledge. _Of course, that doesn't mean I enjoy reading about how_ Luthor _thinks_ I'm _an egomaniac!_ _That I'm only a hero to feed my ego. That I only don't kill people like him because I love the 'cheering children,' and 'swooning women' too much._

 _All this time, and he still doesn't understand me._

 _What is really so wrong with wanting people not to die? For people to have the chance to make the world a better place. If giving up my powers would accomplish that, I'd do it in a heartbeat!_

With a sigh, he put the files down. Truthfully, he did not put a lot of stock in psychological profiles, or psychiatrists and psychologists in general. In fact, he did not know any hero who did. The fact of the matter was that masked individuals were all extremely reluctant to open up their secrets. Not to mention how if they entered into this line of work, they did so because they were confident they could handle any issue, including their own mental ones.

Besides, look at how many psychologists turned super-villains! Clearly it was too risky.

Fortunately, a distraction appeared in the form of an incoming communication. From Atlantis?

 _I hope nothing's wrong down there. Not like them to actually call us._ A few keystrokes, and a familiar blonde and bearded face appeared onscreen. "Aquaman," Superman said with a warm smile. While they may have butted heads in the past, he knew the monarch was a good man.

" _Superman_ ," the King of the Seven Seas greeted over the video screen. " _How are you?_ "

"Pretty good," he admitted. "We just caught a major criminal. You'll be glad to hear that, given the amount of water pollution some of his companies were involved in. Other than that, the rest is still good." He cocked his head. "If you don't have a crisis going on, maybe you'd like to drop by Metropolis later to talk?"

" _I can't guarantee that_ ," deflected Aquaman. " _But I do hope you help me with a little mystery. I understand you're familiar with the Straw Hats?_ "

With a sigh, Superman nodded. "I'm guessing that they've done something either sort of good, or something fairly bad, with a definite side of chaos."

" _You could say that_ ," snorted Aquaman. " _They took care of some poachers going after my whales._ " He glanced aside momentarily, obviously a little embarrassed. " _I'd already been in a bad mood rushing over to help, well, we call them the Sacred Singers, and so you can guess how upset I was. When I got there I saw a bunch of strangers finishing the whalers off, doing my job, and I got defensive and yelled at them._ " Now King Arthur's mien was prideful once more. " _Their words were insulting, so I tried to be assertive with them. Unfortunately I misjudged their strength, and got knocked back, and insulted more before they flew off in a jet._ "

"Interesting," mused Superman. "I'm glad they saved the whales." Indeed, that painted a better picture of them given their recent attack on Shining Knight—even if it did not excuse it. _Aquaman knows he was in the wrong in how he first reacted, except unfortunately he can still be too arrogant at times, and he escalated the situation. Although it doesn't sound like the Straw Hats were willing to talk anyways_. "When and where did this happen?"

The king gave some coordinates, and admitted it happened a few hours ago. " _I was hoping to learn more about them on my own, except there isn't much it seems. Although, the environmentalists who had witnessed everything said that one of them was unfamiliar. Sending you a picture_."

 _And I guess they assumed you'd tell us directly, so no need to send us word themselves_ , Superman quietly chastised. _Which is why we're only hearing about this now_. Not wanting to start an argument though, he kept his peace. Doubtless the monarch would, or already had, come to that same conclusion. Pointing it out would only anger him.

Looking at the image that came in, he raised an eyebrow. "This is a new one," he said. "Given his size, possibly one of the ones involved with a recent bank robbery. Thank you, this helps a lot."

Then he noticed that Aquaman still seemed a little uncomfortable. "Is there something else?"  
With a sigh, King Arthur pushed aside his own ego. "If there's a chance, I'd like to thank them for saving my subjects. Moreover, it seems that one of them, Dr. Chopper, is able to talk with sea life. The pod was already heading off on its own, and from what I can gather, he had instructed them on how to get to someplace safer."

That was probably the closest Aquaman would get to an apology.

"I understand, and I'll see what I can do," he promised. "By the way, how's Mera and your son doing?"

A warm smile graced the monarch's face, breaking through his usual attitude. "Very well. Just yesterday, he—"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

With nothing more to accomplish down on Earth for now, the rest of the Justice League reconvened aboard the Watchtower to go over the rest of their findings, as well as prepare for future events.

J'onn was consulting with Shayera and John about the technology they were using for their space station, as well as possible improvements.

"What do you mean by incorporating more alien technology?" she questioned.

"Maintaining our advantage," the ex-marine deduced. "The stuff we've got up here is some of the most advanced on the planet, and we need to maintain that edge if we're going to stay effective."

"Indeed," confirmed J'onn, shifting through computer files showing various schematics for equipment like enhanced sensors. "While Martian technology is very advanced, Humans have made impressive strides as of late. However, that also includes Luthor, as well as the Straw Hats."

"Who may be aliens themselves," reminded Shayera. "They've already proven capable of medical advances we still don't fully understand after all, and that would explain it. Which means they may have technology we ourselves do not understand."

"Yet," interjected Green Lantern.

"Anything is possible," allowed J'onn. "For now though, especially with our connection to S.T.A.R. Labs, and Wayne Enterprises, we maintain an edge over every other nation, and nearly every other super-villain. Luthor has been taken out of the picture as well. With this advantage, we are better equipped to detect and defuse crime."

Flash appeared before them in a blur. "Bats is doing a meeting in an hour. Just thought I'd check that you're all up-to-date on what he's been finding out."

"What've you've got?" asked Green Lantern. They had already brushed up on stuff during the flight up here, but they may have missed something. Besides, he wanted to encourage his friend's improvement.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"I hear that Luthor's going to die."

Glancing over, Clark saw that Bruce had appeared at his shoulder as they walked to the conference room. "Yes. Although," he gave a tired smile, "you probably already read the medical reports." The smile fell away though. "It all seems like a total waste." Firmly he added, "And I hope you're being careful with that piece of Kryptonite you carry around with yourself. We don't want to lose you too."

"You sound like you'll miss him," Bruce softly said, yet the Kryptonian was not fooled. Everything Batman did was carefully deliberate.

"Not in the way he'd like to think," he dismissed. "He had to be arrested before he did any more harm. Metallo, Bizzaro, and all those other threats he was responsible for. Probably others we don't even know about. To say nothing about how despite owning the world's largest, multinational corporation, he chose to engage in illegal weapons development, extortion, industrial sabotage, and arms trading. We'll be finding terrorists and despots with his weapons and tech for years!"

He blew out a breath, before softly saying, "I only wish . . . Imagine what we could've accomplished if we'd worked together to help people?"

"Then he wouldn't be Lex Luthor," Bruce simply said, seeming reassured. "You aren't to blame for his failings."

"I know that," Clark smiled to reassure his friend. "Doesn't mean I can't feel sorry for him." He grimaced, "Especially since we have to lock him up, while being free with his own resources would be the best way for him to find a cure for himself."

Now Bruce outright snorted. "Most likely hurting others in the process."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"—and that is all we have on Luthor so far," concluded Batman.

"And he'll be dead by his own paranoia soon," added Hawkgirl, not even bothering to hide a little grin.

Green Lantern said nothing, but they could tell he was hardly upset, nor was Diana. J'onn was impassive, while Flash was a little uncomfortable, if not as much Superman.

"He chose his path, and thus the consequences," their newest member firmly said.

Shining Knight.

Sir Justin's helmet and chainmail hood were off, yet his ancient golden armour did not look out of place in the advanced space station. His inherent nobleness letting him fit in anywhere.

"Now we can focus our efforts onto the Straw Hats," Batman said, changing the subject. Everyone straightened at that. Their relationship with the pirates was best described as 'complicated.' For while circumstances with other criminals tended to remain black and white –stop the people trying to kill others, and/or conquer the world— these newcomers' tactics were relatively benign. Relatively. The consequences of their robberies could not be ignored, and they had proven willing to resort to violence, as attested by Shining Knight.

(Some members had glanced at him at the reference to the group that had hospitalized him, yet his only response was the slightest tightening of his eyes.)

They had also proven powerful enough to be a genuine threat to members of the Justice League, which was no small feat.

Unfortunately, members like Flash and Wonder Woman also found themselves empathizing a little with some of the pirates. They were convinced that the group was made up of fundamentally good people, who had been so badly hurt in the past, they had become too cynical and insular to appreciate the harm they were doing to others, or what the Justice League was trying to accomplish. Not that the duo would let their feelings interfere if it became necessary to take the pirates down.

Superman was still hoping for a peaceful resolution to all of this.

The others had a few flickers of doubt, if not nearly as much. None of the heroes could deny though that the Straw Hats had gone to lengths to _avoid_ killing, and displayed no interest in world domination, which made them far better than the likes of Luthor, Joker, or Darkseid.

So yeah, they may be criminals, but not _evil_ criminals.

Personally, Batman would be quite happy to figure all this out once the Straw Hats had all been locked up in a nice, secure jail cell. "Our first concern is that they do not try and step into the criminal power vacuum left by Luthor's arrest," he continued. "However, without having to clean up after Luthor's messes, or defend ourselves from his plots, we will have more time available to search for them."

Green Lantern leaned forward. "We just took him down, so they probably haven't had time to make any moves yet."

"True," agreed Batman. "We and the police will remain vigilant though. Given their interest in high-grade technology, and previous corporate manipulations, it remains a distinct possibility they will try something. Mercy Graves, the new CEO of LexCorp, has been firmly instructed by the authorities to inform them and us if they contact her in any way."

That was the simplest and most basic of the contingencies that he and Hawkgirl had devised to prevent such a catastrophe.

"We have also benefited from Luthor's files on them."

Now Superman looked particularly interested. "They were robbing from LexCorp too, weren't they?"

"Exactly." The Dark Knight pushed over sheets of paper detailing lists of cash and resources stolen from Luthor. Even at a glance it was considerable. "He was likely covering it up to maintain his image, and probably to find a way to use them against us. In the process though, he also created profiles on them. While most of it contains the same information we gave to the authorities, there are a few new details.

"Luthor tried making contact with the Straw Hats, in order to recruit them, and was rebuffed every time. Given the amount of power and resourcefulness they displayed though, he was confident they threatened to become a serious threat to his operations. Especially if left unchecked."

"Anything specific?" inquired Hawkgirl.

"Bits and pieces. For instance, he believes that Nico Robin runs the day-to-day goings of their criminal and financial empire, under the alias 'Miss All-Sunday.' He's actually complimentary about her work, in a backhanded way. He had a list of some of their other, smaller-scale, business holdings, yet he also strongly believed that it was only a portion of it. My recommendation for how we handle those interests is to just restrict ourselves to surveillance for now.

"He also attempted bribing them individually at various points, only to be rebuffed, despite offering hefty sums. Except in one case with Dr. Mikan, who tried to con him out of more money until he realized she was faking interest. The only other real piece of note about the Straw Hats specifically, is that Luthor is convinced that their leader's childish behavior is all a façade to conceal a fellow criminal mastermind. That just being strong would not explain for how he has gathered such powerful followers, or geniuses like Dr. Chopper or Nico Robin. Or why Luthor's attempts to suborn his employees failed."

"I dunno about that," grunted Green Lantern. While he did not say it aloud, he could not help think that the pirates' supposed 'leader' seemed more like Flash than someone like Luthor.

"You said 'specifically,'" put in Superman. "Does this mean that the others working for them aren't counted as core members or something?"

"Maybe just allies?" offered Diana. "They supposedly are aliens after all."

"While Luthor had nothing specific, there was a clear division. That the Straw Hats were the inner circle, or only hiring on allies," explained Batman. "From what he managed to uncover, they've definitely recruited Poison Ivy, Clayface, Cheetah, Volcana, and possibly more. Thanks to Aquaman, we have a description of another new player, although we don't have any ID on him."

"So Volcana is with them," Superman said with surprise. "I wouldn't have thought she could be a team player. Given her past."

The Man of Steel was coming to the increasingly uncomfortable conclusion that years from now he would be looking back on the super-villainess as one of his greatest failings. Instead of offering protection, or therapy and help rehabilitating, he had imposed solitary confinement to a deserted island upon her.

If he had simply offered her genuine help, could it be possible she may have been sitting here today, as a true, full member of the Justice League?

"I've checked it over," Batman brusquely said, "and his evidence appears genuine. We finally have independent proof that the Straw Hats have been recruiting other super-villains."

"I thought you already did?" queried Shining Knight. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Roronoa Zoro, he had been trying to go over the available files, but he was still recovering. Indeed, the only reason he was up and about was thanks to treatments developed by Cherry Blossom Medical, and his magical armour.

"No," Flash answered. "Star Sapphire claimed to have intelligence that they did, except it was faulty. She didn't even say anything about those guys."

With a few keystrokes, Batman brought up a set of mugshots on-screen. "These are the ones Star Sapphire identified as joining the Straw Hats. They turned in Killer Frost themselves after a disagreement about killing guards. Deadshot was already in prison at the time for the attempted assassination of Aquaman, and when we questioned him, he said he was rejected. We've found Copperhead, and he says the same. Nothing concrete on the others she named."

The rest of the founding Leaguers remembered how the snake-based villain had _squirmed_ after Batman was done interrogating him.

"With one possible exception," he added. He brought up security camera footage from the bank robbery that Shining Knight had failed to interrupt. The screen focused upon one particular cloaked individual, with various measurements of their form scrolling by to show their height and width. Beside it was an image of Solomon Grundy doing the exact same pose, with similar numbers shown.

"You think she was right about Grundy being a member," concluded J'onn.

"Yes. He has a habit of being recruited as dumb muscle, and he's been off the radar for a while now. Except he's bad at laying low, so we should've had some sightings if he was acting on his own."

Hawkgirl gave a small smirk at that. No surprise given how dumb the zombie was. Although given how strong he also was, it was not really a laughing matter.

"So they're definitely assembling a lot of firepower," Green Lantern darkly growled. "Including known killers." Like Volcana.

"Ones who have been taken advantage of in the past," rebutted Superman, stroking his jaw. "I find it noteworthy they're also passing up on recruiting other killers like Deadshot, Copperhead, and Killer Frost."

"Personally, I find that even more worrisome," growled Batman. Seeing their confusion, he explained with visible impatience. "They're already involved with some serious crimes, and have increasingly clashed with us and other heroes as well. But they're also turning away some of the most dangerous super-villains on the planet?

"That says they're confident enough that they don't feel they need them. That those people were not good enough."

Now the rest of the League looked concerned.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Brook was sobbing and crying as tears came down like waterfalls from his eye-sockets.

Delicately if awkwardly, Grundy patted him on the back while offering a fresh tissue for the skeleton to blow his . . . nostril slit into.

"Oh, it's so beautiful," moaned Brook. On the big screen TV in front of him, Disney's _Fantasia 2000_ was playing the whale scene for the umpteenth time. Once again the baby calf was reunited with its parents, with the whole pod of whales then flying up into the air to dance through the sky and into outer space. Throughout this, _Pines of Rome_ by Ottorino Respighi was playing as a wondrous symphony.

"Very beautiful," agreed the zombie.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Elsewhere in the base, the rest of the Straw Hats and their allies were sleeping.

In the woman's section, Nami and Robin were sharing an Empress-size bed as was their want, although they were also nuzzling Cheetah between them. Originally the cat-woman had been too stunned at how comfortable they were up-close with her –even as a fuzzy pillow— to give more than token resistance, and was now even secretly enjoying it.

In the same room was a queen-sized bed that Poison Ivy and Harley shared. While they had an invitation to the larger bed, Ivy preferred to be on her own. Unless it was with Harley, who sometimes slept in her own room. Regardless, both were wearing matching turquoise and green pajama shirts and pants.

Maureen had her own separate room, filled with her own personal possessions as part of helping her develop her independence—which was also why Harley had one. Although the teenage, ice user slept on her queen-sized bed, she always kept her door open so that Volcana, sleeping next door, could hear her if she had any nightmares. After the complete violation of her privacy by the government through her teenage years to adulthood, the fire-user treasured having her own space.

Anyone looking in on this (and surviving being caught peeping), would note how they all appeared like sleeping angels; beautiful and graceful.

Now the _guy'_ s quarters . . .

One big room that was a mess of bunkbeds, hammocks, single-beds, waterbeds, and bean bags, with everyone nabbing whatever they felt like whenever they stumbled in yawning. The snoring alone should be a health hazard.

Jinbe was collapsed onto a reinforced waterbed, with Chopper sleeping on his rising and falling stomach, a little blanket covering him.

Slumped back into a beanbag, Franky was scratching his chest in his sleep, and inadvertently kept turning his nipple searchlights on and off, making an otherwise comatose Zoro reflexively cuff him with a pillow to make him turn them off. And repeat.

Sanji was spooning Luffy while laying on a mess of pillows on the floor, and the former would undoubtedly wake up and be traumatized. Again.

Usopp luckily snagged a hammock, with all four limbs hanging out.

Clayface was resting on a bed in the corner, something he took particular pleasure in since when he was originally transformed he had been unable to sleep. Due to how much he enjoyed it, and knew it would help his sanity, eventually he had figured out how. However these days, he did so as far away from the lot of them as possible. It was not that he felt discriminated against, it was actually worse that they were _too_ comfortable with him. More than once, one or even two of them had rolled over near him in his sleep, and started grabbing onto his body to snuggle into him! He honestly had no words to describe how that made him feel, outside of _wrong_.

Looking in on this, a viewer would wonder how this mess of people had not killed each other every morning . . .

The ladies wondered the same thing.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"No, no. C'mon, Luffy's not like that!" cried out Flash.

"How would you know?" bit out Batman. "You had _one_ conversation with him, and we're supposed to believe he was completely unable to recognize you and your powers? Despite being the leader of the most powerful gang of criminals in the world? Obviously he was fooling you!"

"I wonder," Sir Justin cut in, before pausing. Seeing the inviting looks of the others, he continued. "I wonder if they are really as young as they look. They've taken on the roles of adults, yet in my time of Camelot, we had to grow up fast."

Superman and the others blinked, and then looked at the images again.

For J'onn, their appearances meant nothing, while the others were only now fully –and embarrassingly— registering what the knight was getting at: the majority of the pirates only appeared to be in their late teens, early twenties.

"Might be just a coincidence," dismissed Green Lantern. He knew from personal experience that alien races could age differently. "They've certainly done things worse than most adults." He was visibly conflicted though. Their medicines had saved a lot of lives already after all, and they had _chosen_ to do so. As much as he knew they had to be stopped, things were not adding up.

"But not overly so," cautioned J'onn. "We have no evidence of them doing anything as malicious as Luthor, or others of his ilk. They are a threat, yes, yet perhaps needlessly so. As Superman has said, it's possible we may be able to resolve things peacefully."

"If they're as young as they appear, perhaps they're just being misguided? Or possibly a culture clash if they're really from another planet," offered Wonder Woman.

Green Lantern and Hawkgirl were clearly dubious, and Batman was sporting his usual scowl, which could mean anything. The rest though seemed a little more optimistic now.

"They did spare, and then save my life," conceded Sir Justin.

"Only after endangering it in the first place! Do you really think that we can get them to turn things around?" John skeptically asked. "After everything they've done?"

"Redemption is not impossible, and on strange new worlds, mistakes can be made," offered J'onn with practiced serenity. "At the very least we should try. After all, they have yet to cross a line we cannot forgive."

None of them had any response to that.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Idly, the super-villain known as Ultra-Humanite poured himself a two fingers of expensive scotch. He swished it around his glass in thought while his gaze danced over his surroundings.

(Yes, his ape fingers were larger than a Human's, but he needed more anyways to truly enjoy the buzz.)

Exquisite artwork, a computer perfectly serviceable for even his advanced intellect (after a few personal modifications of course), comfortable furniture, classic literature, fine liquor, and other basic necessities.

It was also a prison cell.

Except of course he was perfectly comfortable in here, despite how cramped it could be. Honestly, he was content to spend the next few years in here. The only wrinkle in that plan was something the guard bringing his lunch – _Granted, the food here is frankly plebian_ , he acknowledged— had let slip to their 'model prisoner;' that his upcoming neighbour would be one Lex Luthor.

For years, the knowledge that the man was more than an honest businessman had been an open secret throughout the upper strata of the criminal fraternity. It was no surprise that he had finally slipped up and been utterly exposed. What _was_ of interest was that apparently the man was ill. Terminally ill, and would be living beside another super-villain who was in his own right a super-genius. _At one point or another he will approach me with an offer_ , knew Ultra-Humanite. _Offering me as much money as he can, and knowing the wealthiest man alive, he will have plenty of it safely tucked away. Desiring at the very least his freedom, or perhaps even my own expertise in helping him with his condition. So the only question is: do I accept?_

He mulled it over for a few more minutes before coming to a decision, and downed the drink before heading to bed for an early nap. It was in his best interests if Luthor was further off-balance, so he would force a confrontation by staying up late with the TV volume up high so the other man could not sleep.

 _Worst case scenario, I will get to enjoy more of the Culture Network, which is in itself well worth it._

 **!JUSTICE!**

For all that his face maintained its glower, Lex was utterly seething beneath his mask.

The indecent haste at which he was being carted off to prison without even a _trial_ , made it abundantly clear that whatever judge had signed off on this had been suitably cowed by Superman. In all likelihood there had probably even been enough evidence to help sell it, preventing Luthor's lawyers from getting their say. Oh, there would be a trial eventually. Indeed, if circumstances were any different, he would be smugly secure in the knowledge that he could sue the US government for their brazenness.

Unfortunately he was dying, and every spare moment counted. The ticking hands of his mortal clock.

 _Clearly it's time for me to get serious about killing Superman. As well as the rest of his merry band._

 _Of equal importance, I need to find a cure. Fortunately, I know just who to ask. Now the only trick will be tracking down one Dr. Chopper, formerly of Cherry Blossom Medical . . ._

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Really getting into Superman a bit in this story :-)**

 **Batman's thoughts on Superman are from what he said to his friend's 'grave' in "Hereafter," along with a few comic quotes.**

 **The bit on why Luthor thinks Superman does not kill, and wants to be a hero, is from an admittedly powerful scene in the episode "A Better World." I disagree with his analyses, but I admit it likely influences the heroes.**

 **.**

 **The bit about how Batman's rogue gallery keeps going to Arkham is from the _Batman: The Animated Series_ episode, "Trial." Now if they could just make the asylum into a place that actually looks like it might actually help with rehabilitation . . .**

 **.**

 **The scene with Superman regarding psychologists was inspired by "Question of Protocol," by Lorendiac. Honestly, as much as I love the Justice League, they have nothing to help them handle to stress of their jobs. One of the reasons I love the "Young Justice" series so much.**

 **Superman's lack of therapy is especially relevant since Darkseid's appearance is coming up in the not too-distant future . . .**

 **.**

 **I have to recommend "A Little Less Conversation, a Little More Action Please," by Andrew Joshua Talon, as it features many requests I have received.**

 **.**

 **Honestly, this was not where I was originally intending to end the chapter. Unfortunately, this chapter became too long as it is, so the stuff where this 'episode' really starts will be coming out soon. Part of the reason for the level of detail though is to show more of the inner workings of the Justice League, which I feel was glossed over too much in the shows. Particularly during the Cadmus arc when they were dealing with situations more complicated than 'punch the person who is obviously a bad guy.'**

 **As well as how despite the League's good intentions, they still have some more self-reflection to go through to realize why something like Cadmus is not such a bad idea. A** _ **competent**_ **Cadmus that is X-P**

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 **Next Chapter: "Injustice for All, Part 2"**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you! And as this chapter proves, it does make a difference! ;-)**


	12. Injustice for All, Part 2

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their stories!

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 **Guest Review answers :-D**

BlantonM

Ooooh, I _like_ that idea of Lord Superman improvising weapons on the fly! Indeed, I can see Good!Superman doing the same, albeit less lethally! That also might give Superman the edge he needs to help him fighting Luffy, especially given your own accurate comments about the Gears. Mind you, that requires Superman to realize he has to be more innovative to win. Stamina will indeed be a big part of the fights though, since Luffy's big moves are draining, and honestly DCAU Superman has not really had any prolonged battles where he is going all out, which may end up costing him.

Wait and see with Luthor ;-)

Thanks for your patience with updates :-)

As for Monkey D. Dre's recommendation, no need to worry. Like I told him, I found the idea interesting, but I am putting it aside for now to work on my other big projects. When they are done, I will go to my list of potential story ideas, and see what will be fun to read. Besides, it was fun thinking on how those interactions would go. But yeah, already got sooo much to write. I do still usually appreciate recommendations though, even if I do not use them, since they can be fun to think about, and Monkey D. Dre and I have gotten some interesting ideas together. Plus some people just have trouble putting ideas into stories. I am working to stay strong and not get more involved in writing even _more_ multi-chapter works though ;-)

Also, I super appreciate your words regarding that Guest upset about my supporting another fic :-) And yes, he has been complaining to the other author with as much affect ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

dani1361

I want to make the Justice League work for it ;-) Also, if they figured out they are just dealing with a bunch of people trying to get home, the story would be over before I could show Lord Superman X-P

Glad you liked the rest! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Kiyaameron

Nice to hear how much you enjoyed it! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

125b

Honestly never cared about word count, or get why that matters all that much. It also just makes more sense to me to put the comments that are responses to the previous chapter, and related to this one, at the top for people to see first. Especially since I know from other Reviews and PMs that the people I am answering back to are not the only ones reading them. How is the actual story itself?

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest

Yep, the Justice League is still working to puzzle out about the Straw Hats. Glad you liked the _Fantasia_ and bed scenes so much, I am pretty proud of those. :-) Although for Clayface, it is less that he is concerned about people suffocating, and more that he basically has people burrowing into his semi-solid body. D-:

Agreed, it is a bit disappointing that all that for last chapter only got us a few minutes into the actual show, but hopefully worth it for what is about to come.

I am sure Shining Knight would like a few . . . 'words' with Jason Blood.

Chopper is the scariest herbivore around!

Nice Christmas idea! Definitely considering that.

Unsure about Luffy liking that TV show though, especially such an old one.

For Brook, yeah singing that is embarrassingly overdue, but I have a scene for it. Also thanks for the reminder about skull jokes.

I confess that I clean forgot about Thanksgiving, so thanks to you and someone else for reminding me.

Embarrassed honestly I had not thought of that for Franky. Good idea :-)

Likely not going down to the center of the Earth if only because of how difficult it is to get there, but yeah excellent point about the kryptonite. Especially since it was enough to affect Supergirl at such a distance, so definitely no shielding of any kind.

Sorry, no idea who Titanio is, and Google search is no help.

Hmm, possible upcoming scene for Waller there.

Please keep up the suggestions!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest

1) In terms of the Straw Hats making money by creating a manga of their own adventures, calling it _One Piece_ . . . Frankly, that is absolutely brilliant. And hilarious. Unfortunately it does not quite work here because they are still going through their adventures, so they would only know the 'story' up to a certain point, and then have to speculate about the future, and then frankly the plan breaks down. However, this might very well work for my _Sea of Souls_ fic, where the Straw Hats use this to also help them regain their memories!

2) I do like your idea of Cheetah and Clayface deciding to stay as they are given the acceptance they have received. Not sure if it work though given how both of them do want to return to normal society, and the fact the Straw Hats are planning to go back home. Back into frankly the most dangerous region of the planet. Even if the two supervillains learn the truth, they will have to consider the risks. Staying behind with their old bodies, they will be hunted down by the Justice League. Not denying that your suggestion has potential, but it needs some more work to make it fit in well. Any suggestions?

3) I am going to confess that I have not really seen much of _Static Shock_. Only a few episodes. That is why there are so few Bang Babies thus far. Makes it harder for me to decide there. To clarify with Livewire and Lobo, you mean Nami will pressure them into joining because of the money they owe her?

4) If Maureen wanted to lose her powers by this point, it would have to be voluntary, and she has people supporting and encouraging her. The overall fate of the Bang Babies is still being decided.

5) Wait and see ;-)

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.

OtakuHazelEyes

LOL yeah, a lot harder to seduce the rest :-P

Ah, you're overreacting regarding the Joker! I'm sure he's all over that little kerfuffle. Honest! X-P

Thanks for the Review and Support! :-D

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.

Guest (going to assume you are the same person for two particular Reviews)

Grundy's ultimate fate is still undecided. That is all I will say. I agree though that the Vinsmokes, barring Reiju, should suffer horribly as they die.

I should warn you that having the Justice Lords is a popular request thus far.

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Guest

The Straw Hat's allies (i.e. Maureen, Harley, Volcana, etcetera) are indeed _nakama_ , except they are not 'crew,' so to speak. More akin to Law, Carrot, etcetera, in terms of being people they are close to, but not actual members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

Sorry, I am going to need you to clarify about seeing the Straw Hat's memories. I am missing something for when it happened. But yeah, the Logia-class Devil Fruit powers of One Piece are a level beyond what most in the DCAU are capable of. That said, Maureen's powers while possibly weaker overall than Kuzan's, are still nearly on-par with his. Indeed, even more impressive that she can do so much without any formal training, and so young.

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.

Evil Reviewer

I have had lots of people argue he should join the Straw Hats for those very reasons ;-) And yeah, hard to hate a guy who helps orphans. Although as we see here, he is also pretty comfortable in prison. Indeed, at the end of the canon version of this episode, he still had all his comforts when back in prison. :-P

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.

Guest

Jinbe is the 'blue alien' being referred to, given his appearance against Aquaman. There are no hard, confirmed reports of Franky yet that have reached Batman's ears.

That Maureen is a regular metahuman and NOT a Bang Baby is indeed an interesting idea. I confess that I have not watched the last episode of _Static Shock_ (and yes, it is on my to-do list), but it does indeed sound like it may be an interesting twist . . .

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.

Apolios

Yeah, I had to slow down the pace to keep the chapters manageable, as well as to sneak in some seeds of character and plot development. As for the characters, yeah some are getting a lot more face time than others. Personal bias I admit, except for Franky and Zoro. Franky, who I love, has not been active much since he is literally their only scientist and has been stuck at home. As for Zoro, he is a walking-talking weapon of war who can curbstomp basically 99% of people in this universe. Those who he cannot, just fighting them would escalate the plot too early. As for Jinbe, my only excuse is that I am still feeling out the character. No worries though, I have a chapter coming up to help rectify that ;-)

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.

KaizokuHime23

Nice to hear how much you like this story! :-D Also appreciate how much you have re-read it :-) What are your other two favourite crossovers for this?

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.

JasonIrwing

That is indeed the real Poison Ivy :-)

I am iffy about time travel because that generally means that things are guaranteed to happen, including that Bruce Wayne will survive my story—and yes, there is a chance he will die. So if time travel, then it would have to be an unstable timeline, and frankly the butterfly effect of the Straw Hats being here is growing.

Dead or alive, Harley will have a clean break from the Joker. The rest of the stuff about her I need you to clarify on.

I should warn you that the Justice Lords are a popular request from other readers . . .

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.

Galvatron

I just could not resist for Brook! :-D

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.

Guest

Franky combining Amazo nanites with Father and Mother Boxes . . . Huh, you know, he probably _is_ Super enough to pull that all off. Still, that would pretty much be his Doomsday Protocol given how even if he survived he probably would not be the same person anymore. Also more overpowered than Luffy with a Lantern Ring :-P

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.

Guest

Wait and see for Ultra-Humanite

Interesting and amusing to learn about Pink Flamingo, and that would indeed be interesting to do! :-D However, I am trying to keep out non-DCAU characters. Indeed, this has actually grown beyond my strong desire to keep the story just within the DCAU to keep it simpler, more predictable, and because if I accept one I will have requests for many, many more. Honestly, the problem now has become that I have too many characters I am juggling as it is with just the DCAU. I honestly had not really noticed it until some recent Reviews, and a crossover I am reading right now, but frankly I am having trouble adequately covering just the characters I have now, never mind the ones I will be introducing later. Heck, the story as is at this rate may very well reach a hundred chapters without adding in more people to introduce and develop!

Still having fun with this story of course, but I do want to move onto other stories eventually :-P

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.

Guest

Regarding Mera vs. Devil Fruit users, the amount of water she can control is monstrous in the comics. That said, for her to be truly successful she would need to know specifics of their weakness to win. I agree though that she would have no chance at all against Jinbe.

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 **-0-0-0-**

Justice

 **-0-0-0-**

Chapter 12: Injustice for All, Part 2

 **-0-0-0-**

 _Previously:_

 _The Justice League managed to expose Lex Luthor as a criminal, and have him thrown into prison. They also began the systematic dismantlement of his criminal empire, while finding his own records on the Straw Hat Pirates. To Superman's genuine dismay however, it was also discovered that Luthor was terminally ill from carrying around a piece of Kryptonite for years. Furious and desperate, the genius mastermind has already begun planning his most important schemes ever . . ._

 **-0-0-0-**

This chapter is an AU of a DCAU episode by the same name.

 **-0-0-0-**

 **I should probably note that "Injustice for All" and "Fury" have a weird relationship. "Fury" dialogue refers to events in "Injustice for All" in the past tense, except "Fury" was released first (episodes 14 and 15, with "Injustice for All" being 18 and 19). However, for the sake of simplicity, I am sticking with the order of their release.**

 **-0-0-0-** **!**

November 5th

Lex Luthor was dangerously close to finding someone he hated worse than Superman.

(Alright, maybe not that extreme. Maybe as much as Batman.)

It was not enough that he was imprisoned in some humiliating prison cell—insinuating he was a common criminal! That he had been sent here without a trial, implied that aside from Superman's pressure, the judges had been provided with very incriminating evidence. Not even bail had been accepted. That alien again! If he was free from prison, he could be devoting himself to finding a cure!

Instead, he was locked up here dying! While his empire was being shredded into scraps!

Oh, not all of it. There were too many bank accounts memorized by his photographic memory, except even he needed physical records to refer others to. For blackmail, bribes, or to display to morons to prove something or other. Plus law enforcement might even get lucky and uncover a few more that way.

What was perilously close to pushing Lex over the edge however, was that his neighbour was blaring opera music at 2am!

Futilely he tried wrapping his pillow over his ears, so he could _sleep_ so he could _think_ in the morning!

Why were the guards not _doing_ anything! Were they _enjoying_ his suffering!? They would pay in turn! With interest!

Snarling, he got up to hit the wall the music was coming from. "Hey, keep it down! Can't a guy die in peace around here!?"

No response.

Glaring, he walked over to his own TV set, while pulling out a shiv he had secreted away. Using it, he tinkered with the electronics, barely having to concentrate on his work it was so mundane; repurposing parts for functions they had never been designed for. In a few minutes, he had re-configured the TV to send video feed to his accursed neighbour. Sure enough, his own screen flickered with static before showing the figure lounging on a (decidedly non-prison regulation) green armchair. He resembled a white gorilla, if not for his visibly oversized cranium, containing one of the largest and brightest criminal minds around. Ultra-Humanite.

"Humanite!" snapped Lex. "How can you stand that caterwauling!?"

" _Music is one of the meager pleasures I'm allowed in here_ ," returned Ultra-Humanite, his voice oozing with sophistication. He gave no sign of surprise or irritation at the intrusion. " _Along with a few other necessities_ ," he added, gesturing off-screen. Doubtless he was well pampered in his cell. One could only wonder who he had bribed or sold-out to earn such privileges.

" _You should try the culture channel_ ," Ultra-Humanite smugly added. " _It might improve your disposition._ "

"There's nothing wrong with my disposition that a little freedom wouldn't cure."

Cocking an eyebrow, the other supervillain retorted, " _That's not what I hear_."

There was a beat as Lex processed that word of his impending fate was spreading fast, as well as forcing himself to acknowledge the reality of his situation. The person he was talking to was a fellow genius after all, who would not only have his own possible solutions, but a lab and resources secreted away. Right now, all of Lex's local ones were suspect until he confirmed they were safe, or were too far away. Since another seizure could strike at any moment, he had no time to waste. "I need your help. And I can make it worth your while."

Spreading his hands questioningly, " _What do I need with money?_ " 

"Everyone needs money." Lex narrowed his eyes knowingly, "The only question is—"

BOOM!

The explosion rattled the prison, followed quickly by the unmistakable sound of screaming and laserfire.

"Well now, that's unexpected," allowed Lex, squinting in thought. "I wonder who they're here for?" 

" _Indeed_ ," acknowledged Ultra-Humanite, also frowning. While supervillains usually did escape before serving their sentence, the frequency of it was decreasing as the Justice League locked up more and more of them. Especially as security became increasingly advanced and restrictive, with time added to your sentences. At some point you had to wonder if it was worth breaking out. Moreover, it was usually one or two at a time who got away. Of course sometimes they figured letting other prisoners free would cover them in the ensuing chaos. A break- _in_ was something rarer. Especially so brazenly. Few had the resources or allies to be rescued from the outside.

Unless of course these invaders were here to kill someone.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Star Sapphire gasped as her cell door swung open.

The information she had provided Batman on the Straw Hats had lowered her sentence to 'only' life imprisonment, but she had no powers here. She was helpless before this man.

Quicker than she could react, he was leaning over her. Jolting back, the massive restraints around her hands and forearms fell away. Gaping in shock, she looked back up to see him handing her a set of keys—one of which he must have just used to release her.

Anything she may have said was brushed aside at the sheer rush caused by the energy of her gem re-connecting with her, coursing through her veins once more.

"Find and free Tsukuri," he ordered her. "I've got a job I rather think you gals will like."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Deadshot lazily looked up from his newspaper, quirking an eyebrow in interest. He had been in here since his failed assassination attempt of Aquaman.

"Got a job for me?" he asked. While he knew this man could likely pay his (exorbitant) fee, it was the principle of the matter. As arguably the world's greatest marksman, killing for free was beneath him.

"Of course."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Copperhead barred his fangs with pleasure as he stepped outside of his cell, elongated tongue flickering out of his mouth.

Word had gotten out that he had tried to join the Straw Hat gang, so Batman had hunted him down for questioning. It had been galling to be forced to talk, even if he really had nothing concrete for the hero. Only that Cheetah had been involved in contacting him.

"Well now," he grinned. "This is nice. 'Suppose you want me for something?"

"How astute."

 **!JUSTICE!**

The eyes of Killer Frost –having only recently been thawed out after being dropped off at a police station—glittered with death as she stomped forward.

With but a gesture and without a word she killed several of the incapacitated guards. Only then did she turn to her rescuer. "I'm in. Don't care what it is, I'm in."

"Don't worry, I'm certain you'll enjoy it."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Lex slipped the shiv up his sleeve, and placed a make-shift hand-taser made from TV parts into a rear pocket.

The sound of resistance from the guards had slackened off—

—While their screams grew ever louder and prolonged.

 _They move quickly, whoever they are. I still hope they had the sense to jam any calls of distress to the League. Unless they're trying to draw them here of course_.

*Knock. Knock.*

An eyebrow quirked at the light rapping to his cell door, before it slowly swung open.

Seeing no one there, he accepted the invitation and stepped out, noting the obviously, generic, heavily armed goons standing to attention along the wall across from him.

Glancing to the right, he took in some familiar faces.

Copperhead, a metahuman very skilled at infiltration and murder.

Deadshot, the master marksman holding two handguns at ease.

The powerhouse Star Sapphire, hovering above the ground.

The swordswoman Tsukuri, with no signs of the scars from being cut down by the Straw Hat, Brook.

Killer Frost, always ready to kill with her ice.

Opening the cell door for Ultra-Humanite was Shade, his Nightstick in hand.

Parasite, a dangerous enemy of Superman's, who Lex had pointedly never tried to recruit.

Scarecrow, the fear master of Gotham.

An impressive assemblage of some of the most dangerous supervillains in the world. Such a team could theoretically defeat even the Justice League if they took them all on at once—and the Justice League rarely had all its own members assembled together.

They were also all looking to Luthor's _left_.

Turning himself and his full attention that way, he took in the mastermind of all this:

Joker.

Or rather, the man who had once been the Joker.

His face was wrapped in bandages, proving the rumours that Sanji Kuroashi of the Straw Hats had reshaped it.

 _It's impressive that he can even stand, given the beating he was supposed to have endured only a few days ago. Heh, I'll bet he was forced to use to use those very medicines made by Cherry Blossom Medical._

Mentally reevaluating the other criminals, he started to understand how the dynamics were working here. _Normally it'd be difficult to keep someone like Parasite in line,_ _given how in his last team-up, he betrayed Livewire to steal her powers as well._ Together they had overwhelmed Superman, except once the power-leech had thought the hero was on the ropes, he had turned on Livewire, planning to keep her captive so he could take her lightning abilities again and again at his leisure. Unfortunately for him, Superman had been too familiar with Livewire's weaknesses, which Parasite had also acquired, leading to his defeat. Afterwards, both the alien and Livewire had spread the word of what Parasite had done, ensuring no one would ever willingly work with him again. _Except_ _Fear Toxin is a handy stick to make even someone like that compliant, while Scarecrow is probably ironically afraid of his fellow Gothamite criminal. Or at least Joker would know what to offer him._

 _As an ex-psychologist, he probably even made up profiles on everyone here to suggest how to keep them in line as well. Know their weaknesses. Not that any of what the crackpot came up with would help against me._

"Well, Joker, it's been a while," Lex courteously said, standing straight and proud.

"Indeed it has," agreed the Clown Prince, hands in his trench-coat pockets. "I'm here to make another alliance with you."

Now Lex raised an incredulous eyebrow at that. The last time they had met, Joker had offered to kill Superman for a billion dollar bounty, leading to them working together against the despicable alien, and Batman as he tailed along.

When the damage to his personal property, and risk of a legal investigation into oh so minor details like armed Lexcorp robots trying to kill people, Lex had had enough. It became time to cut his losses before he became connected to it all. He had lured Joker in to get the rest of man's large block of Kryptonite, kill him, and claim that he had come to 'investigate' the factory to find out how his own equipment could be used so criminally. Mercy, his handpicked bodyguard, would kill the perpetrators 'in self-defense.' Not Lex himself of course, as he abhorred violence.

Unfortunately he had misjudged how resourceful the Joker was, as he had anticipated the betrayal, and casually disabled Mercy . . .

 **!JUSTICE!**

[Flashback]

 _Duct-taped to a chair within his gigantic, and heavily armed Lexwing airship, Lex had to endure the Mad Clown's hysterical laughter over Harley Quinn's paint job to the craft. Now the crescent shape was sporting crude, smiling teeth._

 _"Very amusing," Lex flatly said, before snapping, "So how much is it going to cost me to get out of this!?"_

 _"I'm not a material guy, Lexy," Joker cheerfully said, somehow frowning while grinning. He got up closer, now showing all his teeth in his smile. A hungry shark would have been more pleasant. "No, what I want now is for you to know what it feels like to lose everything you have. Everything you ever built! Like I lost everything to old Bat-boy!"_

 _Lex could only stare in horror as he realized the enormity of how much he miscalculated. Even the knowledge that the instruments then warned Superman and Batman were approaching the factory did nothing to reassure him._

 _It only got worse as he realized that 'everything you ever built,' extended to half of Metropolis!_

 _[…]_

 _Joker cackled endlessly as the Lexwing rained down missile after missile on every building with "Lexcorp" labeled on it, while he could only futilely glare in hate at his captor._

 _There was no sense to it! What had he done to justify such retaliation! Nothing! The man was just_ insane _!_

 _"How's it feel, Lexy-boy!? Everything with your name on it is going to be rubble!"_

 _Even random building were targeted, killing those inside, even as debris fell down on the screaming people below. Even if he survived this, the lawsuits would be a nightmare!_

 **!JUSTICE!**

Present

Frankly, that little business transaction had been a bad idea from the start. Never mind all the destruction Joker had caused, he had very nearly incriminated Lex as an accomplice beyond what even his lawyers could have saved him from.

As it was, the fallout of all that had been incredibly costly. Foremost among those expenses were his best robots, a laboratory, hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs, more hundreds of millions in lost income while doing said reconstruction, more money in various bribes to keep the District Attorney off his back, and what should have been a profitable business relationship with Bruce Wayne went down the drain as well!

And to cap it all off, despite the Joker being stuck in his personal Lexwing that had been wracked with internal explosions before even crashing into the ocean below from a high altitude, and then exploding into a massive fireball, the clown _still_ had not had the simple decency to just _die!_

The final straw was how it was Superman of all people to save Lex from that.

Oh, and Mercy had suffered serious injuries, inconveniencing him for weeks.

Ever since later hearing that Joker was alive and back in Gotham, Lex had kept a loose yet distant eye on the madman, learning what he could about him. The more he found out, the more he was convinced the only reason he had agreed to that deal, was because he had been suffering from some sort of subtle, mind altering substance at the time.

(Early symptom of Kryptonite poisoning perhaps?)

One of the most dramatic examples he had learnt on how insanely dangerous this man could be, was over a bid for a bomb that could have wiped out the entire city of Gotham—Lex had very carefully checked there were no more of those lying around, and ensured those who had misplaced it were charged with gross negligence. Joker had won the bid by walking into a room full of armed, millionaire crime bosses, and left with the super-bomb by threatening them all with a regular bomb.

None of those crime bosses doubted he would cheerfully blow up not just him and everyone else in the room, but risk killing ten million more people, just to get his way. Then after getting the bomb, he had plotted to blow up Gotham City regardless.

Honestly, as much as he despised Batman, Lex was grateful he kept the Gotham criminals both in check, and obsessing over him, so they did not sweep over the nation. Otherwise he would probably be forced to put those mad dogs down to keep them out of his business.

Of course, he had _also_ covertly greased a few legal wheels to help ensure Joker continued to escape the death penalty due to his insanity, because frankly Batman remained the greater threat. Even if the lunatic continued to fail to kill the mental-case in a black facemask, he at least kept him too occupied to get into Lex's business again.

"I do hope you have some guarantees it will not end like last time," he smoothly said.

"I'm sure I can accommodate you," was all Joker said.

It was only at that moment Lex recognized that something was very, _very_ wrong.

The Joker he remembered would have been giving a large shrug of his shoulders at that, getting into his personal space with some over-the-top reassurances, or whatever. The body language of the man in front of him –who was unmistakably the Crown Prince of Crime— was too restrained. Tight. No childish dramatics.

Lex felt a drop of sweat run down his forehead as he realized just what sort of situation he was in now. He knew that if he glanced back at the other supervillains he would see them all openly nervous. Even the just-released Ultra-Humanite would be picking up the signs by now. While the ones who had come with him, or had been broken out to help subdue the guards, would have also been made to understand why they should obey the Joker. Or else.

For this was not the Joker the international underworld knew and feared.

This one . . . was not laughing.

 _He's lost his identity_ , Lex noted as a chill ran up his spine, as for the first time he fully contemplated what kind of monster Kuroashi had created by making the man unable to smile.

The Joker had long been a textbook example of why vast majority of the human race were _sheep_. Here he was, clearly a psychotic clown who made it very clear that he killed for the fun of it, and everyone let him live _because it was the law_.

Hilarious.

Oh sure, there had been a few attempts by those so rabid with grief at the loss of their loved ones, that they had tried to strike out at a bloodthirsty wolf, but those failures had been as sad as they were inevitable. Like the time an orderly at Arkham Asylum was bribed to poison the 'special' inmate, only to inadvertently provide the Joker with a weapon to ease his next escape.

This inherent meekness and stupidity was not isolated to the 'proper' civilized people either however. Oh no, criminals of all shapes and sizes were willing to work with, or under the man, in hope of petty profit. Dressing themselves up like clowns, while willfully blinding themselves to the fact they were associating with someone who would kill them if it struck him that it would be funny.

Particularly if their deaths were original.

Yet still his raw charisma, sheer presence, and flair had drawn in moths to the flame. A seemingly endless army of gullible henchmen.

 _But right now I'm dealing with a Joker who's lost his ability to amuse himself with murder. Whatever grounding he once had, whatever restraints, how can I be sure they're still there!?_

 _No. They aren't there._

Rapidly Lex calculated every possible outcome of this meeting, and concluded that trying to kill the Joker right here and now was a death sentence. The only guarantee was that it would not involve destroying everything he had ever built again, and only because that would be 're-using a joke.' Besides, he was dying already anyways, along with his 'extra-curricular' activities exposed, so why go to all this trouble only to hasten it? No, the clown needed him alive for something, so he would play along. For now.

"I presume you're offering me a way to cure myself," Lex said as calmly as possible. "My freedom does indeed go a long way to ensuring that. What do you want in return? Money?"

"No. I need your help with a few things." Now the Joker started stalking forward. "Plastic surgery for one, to help me with my . . . condition."

"Not my specialty, but I can get you in touch with people who are," acknowledged Lex, fighting the urge to back up.

"I also need your expertise to double-check someone else's work." Now Joker was dangerously close.

"Alright."

Now Lex was forced to tip his head back as the Joker pressed his face almost into his own, eyes burning with hatred and madness. "But most of all, to _help me kill those bloody Straw Hats!_ "

 **!JUSTICE!**

A few hours later on a (stolen) military jet, Lex found himself walking into Joker's secret underground base.

It was a large space within a hollowed-out mountain. Given the condition it was in, location (i.e. across the country from Gotham City), and how little time had passed since Joker's sudden Snap, Lex assumed it belonged to some other supervillain. Possibly a dead one.

Right now, various regular goons were setting up additional temporary buildings throughout the place. Living spaces, workshops, and labs at a glance. What caught his eye the most was the large, metallic complex at the center. Waiting for him by the entrance to it was the Joker, who he had not spoken with since that little reveal back in prison. Right afterwards the man had turned around, and silently led them to the waiting jet. Now though it seemed it was time to talk.

 _So this is all about revenge is it? Not surprising given how the Straw Hats ruined his life. Even if a little sad to be obsessed with matters. Although it's entirely possible they'll never even see it coming._

The Joker's very madness had always been his strongest asset, and not only because it allowed him to escape the death penalty an equally insane number of times. He was far too unpredictable in far too many ways too count, constantly surprising whomever he dealt with. Sometimes he did stupid things like fixate on harmless gags, and other times he demonstrated a genius for chemistry, computer hacking, manipulation, underhanded fighting tactics, you name it. And of course his sheer force of personality that kept drawing in small, disposable armies.

In a way, it made him similar to the Straw Hats. Or rather, _had_ made him like that. Past tense.

From what Lex had uncovered, this Monkey Luffy was also charismatic, with such an open 'zest' for living his life as he chose, that it was compelling for the disenfranchised, ostracized, rebellious, feeble-minded criminals and lunatics he had recruited. Leaving them dazzled and submissive by his flamboyance, power, disregard for any authority but his own, and of course his own genius intellect.

(For how else could he have assembled his own formidable team of supervillains?)

It would almost be a waste really, for the 'pirates' to die. They were too entertaining for one thing.

After all, it was thanks to them and Cherry Blossom Medical, which had set in motion what would in the long-run be the watershed moment inevitably leading to Superman and the Justice League's downfall. One simple mistake by Superman and Batman, leading them to misread the situation and cause the collapse of the world's most popular medical company. A situation that Lex had exploited of course, yet the 'heroes' seemed to fail to recognize the greater truth of the incident.

 _The people will laud a hero, but a hero who makes mistakes –and thus proving they are Human. Mortal. Fallible— will be cursed and painted in the vilest colours imaginable. That's Human nature. The fear of beings more powerful than them, of the vigilantes who refuse to comply with the laws and accepted customs of the tyranny that is society. For after all, if they make a mistake now, their next ones will_ obviously _be worse, with lives and property lost!_

 _Ah yes, so predictable._

Granted, he was already planning to kill Superman and the rest of the Justice League anyways. It was just the principle of the matter.

That was not to say he was not wary of the Straw Hats and their potential. After all, the group had several powerhouses and bright people that he could definitely find some use for as profitable employees. He would even be willing to let their leader work for him, so long as he dropped that mask of being a childish idiot.

 _Honestly, he's overplaying it really, especially given all of his more impressive attributes. Only a moron would ever believe that such a fool, no matter how strong he might be, could command the loyalty of such a team without being rather clever himself. Indeed, the charade only damages his reputation. That or he is a patsy for others, like Miss All-Sunday, or Nico Robin as she also calls herself_. Or was there some other purpose to the charade, that he was missing, he pondered.

Not to mention certain reports that Batman had given to certain officials regarding his suspicions that they were aliens similar to Superman. Which would explain their bizarre and inhuman powers and actions.

Honestly, was Earth not polluted enough!?

 _That is not to say I am worried about them—especially not with a team of supervillains like this available. As powerful as they are, they also show signs of being soft and sentimental. Indeed, their main accomplishments are creating a medical company, a hidden financial empire, and escaping from the Justice League. As impressive as it may be to avoid those 'heroes,' the only one they've actually beaten is Flash. I, however, have taken out several of them at once!_

 _No, they would only be an issue if given time to continue growing, so I'd have had to annihilate these aliens as well anyways._

So while there were many points Lex found actually admirable about them, he was quite willing and able to help Joker dispose of them if necessary.

Truthfully, the elusive 'Dr. Chopper' had originally been one of the people Lex had considered approaching for a potential cure. After all, he was a proven medical genius of a caliber that even Lex had to respect. Granted, his attempts at bribing the pirates had failed in the past, yet greed was a fundamental way of life, and it was only a question of how much money it would take. Now of course, plans had changed.

Still, even if the little furball could not be kept alive and coerced into manufacturing a cure, Ultra-Humanite should prove satisfactory.

With a gesture, Joker led him into the building, with the rest of the supervillains hurrying to join them.

The first room was filled with corpses strapped to chairs, faces contorted into smiles like the Joker had once sported, obvious victims of Joker Venom. As well as jagged lacerations all over their bodies.

"They failed to make me laugh," Joker said by way of explanation.

Knowing he had to show he was unintimidated, Lex said, "There's something else I want if I'm going to help you take down the largest crime syndicate, now that mine has been dismantled."

"Well, I've got some ideas in mind." With a brutal tug, he wrenched off the bandages around his face, displaying his perpetual frown. Despite this, he was starting to become increasingly animated once more. "So many, many, many ideas! Of course, I'm still trying to think up something _personal_ for that minx Harley, given how she ran off to join them like that. And _especially_ because she's the one who made that," he broke off into inarticulate gibberish as his rage denied him words to describe Kuroashi, before abruptly calming down.

"Anyway, it's her fault that I'm like this now, so I'd like to kill her hyenas in front of her, but I also want them to eat her limbs a bit." He threw Lex a sadistic look. "Do you think you could make them into zombie cyborg hyenas?" 

Lex continued to walk beside him, refusing to dignify that with a response. He was reassured though as they re-entered familiar territory. _So long as it is directly about killing the Straw Hats, eh?_

"Ah, you're no fun. So I assume you and Ultra-Humanite had plenty of time on the plane ride over to discuss your plans to cure you?"

"Yes we did," he allowed. "He has come up with plans for a containment unit that should stabilize my condition. He just needs to run some tests and build the necessary equipment." The idea he could then use the Kryptonite radiation poisoning to actually power a battle-suit was also highly intriguing. "However, I also have something in mind I'm sure we both desire."

"What I desire," the Joker said, "is the heads of all the Straw Hats. Smiling of course. And mutilated pre-mortem." He drew Scarecrow aside, and sotto whispered in his ear while the man shivered. "That's fancy talking implying I tortured them before killing them you see. Preferably after they're begging for me to kill them. And I say no. Just for laughs."

"I see," was Luthor's flat response, stopping in place, arms crossed over his chest. "That's what you want, and you know what I want."

"Blah blah blah," Joker shook his head. "You want Superman dead. Probably the rest of the Justice League too." He tapped his chin. "I really should add Batsy to the wall, just to get that out of the way so I can worry about the bigger issue."

 _Interesting, so he's still obsessed about Batman to a degree. Just as a secondary priority_ , Luthor assessed, well aware he remained on shaky ground. The Joker's insanity had clearly developed more psychosis than he initially thought—with different degrees of variation between each one. Moreover, he suspected the man was switching back and forth between them from one moment to the next. Alternatively, it was equally possible that he was acting as he remembered how he used to behave; playing a role of insanity that he could no longer do himself after his mutilation. Suffice to say, it was going to be difficult to find some sort of pattern, or 'rules' to it all, to get by without getting killed.

"So I help you kill the Straw Hats, and then you help me kill the Justice League?" offered the former businessman.

"Lex~, Lex~, Lex~," sang Joker. "You think too small! Straw Hats, Justice League, it doesn't matter." Eyes blazing, " _We're killing 'em all!_ "

Raising an intrigued eyebrow, Lex prompted, "You have a way to do them both at once?"

 **!JUSTICE!**

Harley Quinn giggled as she brushed Lou. Off to the side, Luffy was giving Bud a belly-rub as the hyena cackled with joy.

It was a rare, peaceful moment at home. She could hear Poison Ivy and Usopp discussing plants, while Robin was drawing something, Zoro was napping, and Nami and Volcana were going over clothing fashion. Although Nami was also making a few pointed comments about how Volcana still needed to lose a few pounds, making Harley try and hide her snickers.

"He really likes that," noted a bright-eyed Chopper to her, jerking a hoof at Lou.

"Yeah, I've always made sure ta treat my babies right," she grinned. "I gotta say though, I'm positively jealous ya can understand them."

The little guy immediately looked away in embarrassment. "Ah! Don't go trying to flatter me you idiot!"

"Oh, don't say that!" She nabbed him in a one-armed hug, nuzzling her cheek against his. "Ya're not just the cutest guy here, ya're also probably the coolest!"

"I mean it! I'm not goin' be fooled!" he cried out in the most adorable manner possible!

A flash of light, and they both turned to see Cheetah smirking and holding a camera. "Definitely for the album."

"Oooh, I wanna see!" cried Harley.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Smiling, Superman silently floated through the hospital room window.

Seeing the sleeping child in his arms, the doctor put a finger to his lips to confirm they should be silent. With infinite care, they laid him down into bed, and reattached the IV tubes, and made sure he was comfortable.

Outside in the hallway, the doctor let out a long breath. "Thank you Superman. That must've meant the world to him."

His smile a little sadder now, Superman nodded. "He fell asleep as I was coming back across the Atlantic Ocean."

"Still, to fly him around the world like that, as a last wish, it's, well, thank you. Again."

"No problem," the hero softly said, looking back towards the room. "I only wish I could do more."

 **!JUSTICE!**

"So, when I first started thinking of how I'd go about killing the Straw Hats, I knew I'd need some more muscle. Just in case," Joker said, signaling the beginning of a long-winded speech. Although Lex was admittedly curious as to what else the madman had accomplished in such a short period of time. "So first I decided to assemble a team of fellow free-thinkers with a perchance for destruction."

 _My, my, I'm feeling rather predictable_ , Lex thought with a dash of self-recrimination. After all, even before he had contacted Ultra-Humanite, he had already been planning to assemble various super-powered mercenaries. Indeed, some of his potential recruits were trailing behind him and Joker right now.

However, bringing together a supervillain team was not as straightforward as most would assume.

At first glance, working together to counter the might of the Justice League with their own team was a logical decision. In practice, it was terribly dangerous. Their line of work encouraged independence, and _dis_ couraged trust. Not to mention rampant egos. Altogether, especially given the abilities they all possessed, any examples of alpha posturing would quickly escalate into full-blown violence.

The Rogues in Central City had their own group, yet Luthor considered them a rather sad example of criminals. Even then, it seemed to work via a code of conduct they all swore to.

That witch Aresia had managed it. Although that was due to her Amazonian powers, charisma, and most of all the inability of her male minions to think rationally when a pretty woman talked sweetly to them. In the end, she had betrayed the men all to release an airborne allergen that had come within a hair's breadth of causing global extinction. _It's a pity I failed to convince the State Department, or the International Criminal Court, to have her executed_. He was not the sort of man to let himself be driven by anything as petty as revenge, but he did take exception to someone nearly wiping out both Humanity and himself. If only she had managed to successfully kill off five-sevenths of the Justice League though . . . _Anyways, her treachery served as a warning to anyone else wanting to join a supervillain team; it makes you vulnerable._

Regardless, the only other gang of supervillains that seemed to work was the Straw Hats, and aside from the leadership skills of their boss, the dynamics of that group were still a mystery to Lex. Even then, it seemed a single powerful, charismatic genius was the one holding it all together.

Personally, Lex preferred the intimidation of his mind, along with the promise of cold, hard cash. Greed was so much more predictable.

 _Now I just have to use that carefully with this lot, without alerting Joker. Because there's no way I'm going to work with him without a way to double-cross him first._

 _And this time I'll do it right_.

Throughout this introspection, Joker had continued blabbing on, showing more and more of his old self.

"Mind you, I didn't think of you Lexy, until I remembered that whole kafuffle where the Justice League fought that giant robot."

The mastermind remained impassive at that little tidbit. He had deliberately taken extensive steps to keep his involvement there secret. Another demonstration of just how unnervingly competent the clown could be when he put his mind to something.

Regardless, he had pitted a massive robot against the entirety of the Justice League at once, and decisively defeated Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern before it was overwhelmed. While regrettable, he had accumulated invaluable data that would make his next attempt be successful.

(Including the importance of ensuring that in future, if whatever he is remotely controlling is destroyed, said destruction would not cause a feedback loop that would literally blow up in his face.)

"With that in mind, I remembered how resourceful you can be, and just knew you would have a thing or two to contribute to the little party I'm planning! Or maybe even properly appreciate what I've got in mind!"

Almost dancing on his tippy-toes now, Joker led them through a door into an observation room, with the window in front of them blackened out. With a press of a button though, they could now all see what was in the neighbouring room.

"First of all, here are the Parasite's batteries," preened Joker.

"Impressive," Lex sincerely praised with an uplifted eyebrow. _Indeed, this explains more how he's keeping Parasite in line. A little carrot for him. As well as how he was able to contribute to the prison break-in._

Gazing at the six unresponsive captives with their valuable powers, the 'batteries,' many things were becoming clearer. _Parasite can spread out his powers, keeping up the rush by draining a few at a time while the others 'recharge,' or all of them at once for as big a boost as he can manage. For this kind of offer, he'll play along for now, and doubtless Joker can terminate them all if necessary. That'll be difficult to outbid._

More importantly, the identities of most of the captives, made it child's play to deduce the broad strokes of what Joker was planning. Although one he did not recognize.

The next room was full of screens for security cameras, showing the massive weapons stockpile Joker had going, labs that were being furnished, and crates of industrial machinery being unpacked. One place seemed to be manufacturing replacement armaments for Deadshot.

"Parasite's 'battery room' is not covered here," he noted. "Separate security?" 

"Ah, Lexy-boy, so sharp! Yes indeed, a few rooms have their own . . . private arrangements, shall we say?"

With a few more twists and turns through the building, they walked through a few other rooms that did not impress Lex, although he was taken aback a little as recognized one particular trophy.

"Is that—?"

"Hmm, oh yes, Gorilla Grodd in the flesh. Although he's a little _stuffed_ these days!" Joker tried to force himself to laugh, except it only came out as a guttural cough. Murder flashing through his eyes, he cleared his throat. "Ahhhh, yeah, when I approached him, he tried messing with my mind. Can't have that now. Pity, because he did know his stuff."

In a blink, Joker was practically wrapped around Lex, as if he had something private to say. "That redheaded battery babe with the pink dress? Used to be an ape he turned into a metahuman woman!" At Lex's incredulous eyebrow, he raised a hand as if swearing an oath. "No joke!"

While Lex would hardly mourn the demise of Gorilla Grodd, it was still disconcerting to witness proof of the first incident of a top-tier supervillain killing another high-classed one.

 **!JUSTICE!**

In the next room was another surprise.

"Dr. Victor Fries," stated Lex. He acknowledged fellow –if more limited— genius after all. It was regrettable that—

"Lex Luthor," was the reply, and despite himself, Lex's eyebrows raised in surprise. After all, the man more commonly known as Mister Freeze, was now a head in a jar.

"I'm impressed that you're still alive," he admitted.

"Don't be, it's a bitter existence," was the flat, icy response. Somehow the head was still speaking despite being bereft of a respiratory system, encased under a glass dome. Now he could see mechanical, spider legs moving him about. "I will still do my part though," he continued. "I will show the world the cold reality of life as I help strip away their dreams. To make everyone feel my loss."

Clearly the stories about his descent into nihilism after his failure to be reunited with his wife were true.

Ominously behind the Gotham super-criminal was a large exo-suit, coloured black and blue. Even at a glance, the craftsmanship was impeccable. Definitely as resourceful as ever.

 _Impressive_ , Lex repeated to himself. While he had his own plans for survival, and had a rather 'intimate' attraction to actual breathing, the fact of the matter was that without a body that would fail on him, and his signature technology to 'freeze' age, the other man was now functionally immortal. Something to be explored later in depth. Even if only as a final contingency for if other, more palatable means of eternal life failed.

 _After all, as much as it pains me, the truth is that for all_ _my struggles to make my mark in life, for all I've accomplished, in just a few short generations my name will be forgotten. Even the greatest of us can't compete with time . . . and death._

 _But as these last forty-eight hours have proven once more, as I learn I am dying, but then I'm rescued by Joker of all people, there's no way to really tell how it will end. That's why I stay in the game. To see where it's all going._

 _And why I will_ _win_ _it all!_

 **!JUSTICE!**

They continued down the main hallway towards what he figured to be the center of the building, and indeed the entire base.

"Now this up ahead is my _pièce de résistance_ ," Joker exclaimed in a horrific French accent that made Lex internally wince. "Truthfully, not sure if I mentioned this, having you here to . . . fact check, shall we say, is a big reason why I need your help. She knows what happens to the 'batteries' if she tries anything funny that doesn't make me go 'Ha, ha,' but I need you actually tell me if she is doing that."

"Ah yes," Lex mused as he put all the final pieces together. "I see what you mean. Ambitious, except you don't want it exploding in your face." Behind his intrigued facade however, Luthor was deeply concerned. _I've got to keep a handle on this, or he'll try and infect_ everyone _with Joker Venom to see if it can make him laugh again, making it all pointless_.

Fortunately for the Joker, and no doubt intentionally, the potential of what he was offering remained too great to dismiss. Certainly more than the relief of pre-emptively disposing of the Joker. So far.

Of course, the fact that Lex was surrounded by other supervillains who were currently doing whatever they were told was another reason to restrain himself.

Giving a conspiring wink, Joker followed up by rubbing his hands in anticipation as they reached the last, and heavily fortified, room. Locked from the outside if course. To the side was an open doorway showing what looked like another observation room. _Probably the other place for independent security_.

Joker squinted as if in concentration while entering the access code, warbled like a demented duck for an audio check, scanned his retina, spat out a saliva sample, and then turned around to moon a final scanner as it read the impression of his buttocks and . . . well, how the skin on it looked.

Ugh.

Grimacing, Luthor bit back a flat denial he would ever do that himself. He was still unsure how Joker would react to being told something was 'not funny.'

Then his face lightened into a self-satisfactory grin as the door opened. "Beautiful," he drawled, knowing how it would rankle the room's sole occupant.

Shackles around her wrists and ankles, giving her only enough slack to reach the chemicals and papers laid out before her, was the woman who had poisoned half the world, and killed nearly the entire League by herself.

Lips pulled back in a snarl, Aresia the rogue Amazon, looked on at her captors with hate.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **The handcuffs that were on Star Sapphire are the same ones we saw her being led away with in the original "Injustice for All" episode, as those were supposed to keep her locked up despite still wearing her signature gem.**

 **.**

 **The events referred to with Deadshot, and Luthor's robot, happened in the episodes "The Enemy Below," and "Legends," respectively. The scenes referred to with the Joker are in _Batman: The Animated Series_ , 'Harlequinade,' and _Superman: The Animated Series_ , 'World's Finest.' Also, I imagine Scarecrow in his more classic appearance, and not his later corpse-like look, with a noose around his neck. **

**.**

 **Yes, Luthor is being a bit oblivious as to how he himself is acting out on something as 'petty' as revenge :-P**

 **Also, yeah the man tends to react to fear by lashing out at the cause –which may say a thing or two about his relationship with Superman— but he is keeping a lid on it here because he figures yelling at the Joker may be counterproductive to his health. Permanently.**

 **.**

 **For those of you who caught the shift in Harley's speech, I was inspired by the fic "Pam, Pete, and Harley," by Wiggles-n-stuff. An awesome look at both Harley and Ivy. I am planning to go back and make the changes to earlier chapters as well.**

 **.**

 **I confess that I came to regret killing off Grodd after it was suggested to have Sanji offering suggestions on how to cook him up with Luffy drooling. Grodd's reaction would have been priceless, especially given how in some versions of the comics he is a man-eater.**

 **Or a scene like this, inspired by Blackwizard71, where we have parallels to Roger vs. Shiki:**

 **Grodd: Your strength is obvious Straw Hats. Join my Legion of Doom, for we have over 100 at our command already! Together we shall prove to the world we are the superior ones, and rule this world! Become my right-hand man, Luffy!**

 **Luffy: I have no interest in conquering anything, you dumb monkey!**

 **Chopper (whisper): He's an ape.**

 **Luffy: Besides, if we can't be free, your Legion is no better than a prison! If you can't do as you please, there's no point in being a pirate, is there?!**

 **Grodd: I see. So your answer is that you would prefer death. Pity.**

 **Luffy: No, my answer is I'm gonna crush every last one of you!**

 **And thus he did.**

 **.**

 **That bit from Luthor about death and his legacy is slightly paraphrased from a future episode, "The Return."**

 **.**

 **Truthfully, when I first posted chapter 5, "Fury," I was intending for Aresia to be a one-shot villain as she was in the show. There and done. After all, she was a fairly flat villain, with a hypocritical edge in an episode that was too clumsy in presenting sexism, and then forgave men too easily without actually addressing the issue.**

 **Yet afterwards it occurred to me that while _yes_ her personality is rather underdeveloped overall as a villain, she has a valuable skillset. After all, unlike most other villains, she _did_ nearly kill off the human race (her 'brilliant' plan also overlooked how the human race reproduced, but I get into that next chapter), as well as the male dominated Justice League. Basically I see her as an interesting challenge with overlooked potential. **

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 **Next Chapter: "Injustice for All, Part 3"**

 **(I recommend watching the 'Batman Beyond' episode 'Meltdown.')**

 **-0-**

 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


	13. Injustice for All, Part 3

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their own stories! Also thanks to other readers who have given incredible help, like Kolomte'49, lincoln time, mellra, Drag0n5on, scl04, coalface, Creation Teller, Blackwizard71, and Bkaa19. I know several of you will see your contributions here, even if they will be a surprise ;-)

 **-0-0-0-**

 **Guest Review answers :-D**

Hannibal the Bahamut

Yeah sorry for cutting you guys off there, but frankly becoming too much having those super-super-long chapters. So breaking them up more.

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Evil Reviewer

Of course Joker wants to knock over the chess board ;-)

That said, I will say that I am only barely starting to really take this off the path to canon. I do not want this to be one of those stories where the AU divergence or crossover detail only causes a few slight changes to the plot.

. . . I really need a better name for the 'hired help' and 'allied supervillains.' And no, "Divisions" will not work. Open to suggestions! :-D

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BlantonM

Yes a major villain rival has been eliminated. While Grodd's goals may have been subpar, he was pretty much the best at putting together a cohesive team of villains, and he did it without needing (or at least not overtly) his telepathic powers. As you lay out, he would have indeed been a serious threat to the Straw Hats, but I also want to emphasize the rise of Joker to taking that place.

Glad to hear I played it so well with Joker's reveal! :-D

My lips are sealed about Aresia, although I will say she is not going to be influenced in the manner like Pudding to get any personal growth. But yes, oodles and oodles of possibilities!

No worries about story suggestions. I welcome them since frankly this story is as good as it is because of how many great ones I have received, or ones that have sparked whole new plans for what is to come. Your suggestion with Killer Frost *might* be an example . . . Please keep them up! :-D

Plans in place for Dr. Freeze ;-)

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Sanji

Your concerns are noted and appreciated. Now please put down the knife and let me slowly back away . . .

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

Aresia falling for Luffy, Hancock-style, is something I honestly had not considered. After all, there are some major differences between the two ladies, including how Aresia spent years being healed and supported by women who knew and understood what she had gone through—of course the DCAU Amazons also filled her with their own ideology towards men. In contrast, Hancock and her sisters basically shut themselves off from the world, and only really started to heal once Luffy (literally) dropped into their lives.

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

For the Guest who thanked me for reading and responding, it was my sincere pleasure. I appreciate it when people give me suggestions after all. Even if I do not use them, more often than not, the process of thinking about it gives me a different one I can use. Please keep it up! :-D

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Maraderchik

Could say that about other people Luthor has hired in canon, but basically Luthor would be trying to bribe the Straw Hats with more money than they are getting via bank robbing. Yes he is that rich.

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

Frankly speaking, no one would cry if Luffy shoved his fist through Joker's heart. Done right, he can fall in a kneeling position ;-) Of course, that does not guarantee this will actually happen ;-)

Suspect your comment that the metas that are being held as food for Parasite are freed and join the Straw Hats may change with this chapter.

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Legianreader2003

Hope this was not too, too long a wait! Nice to hear the characters are going well! :-D

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

Ah, you want a Deadshot vs. Usopp battle? Intriguing! Although frankly Deadshot would indeed need a boost. Usopp's eyes are frankly far superior given what he pulled off against Sugar, and can probably shrug off any bullets to anywhere barring the brain and heart.

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Jonas

Appreciate hearing that! :-D

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dani1361

Nice to hear you liked the prep chapter! :-)

Yes, looking forward where my writing takes Aresia myself. Feel I will be surprised by it even ;-)

Seeing Luffy beat up on the ape is indeed something to miss, but alas I had to get the story moving more.

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

For the one who went on about how great my version of the Joker is, appreciate hearing that…even if mixed feelings on hearing how well I can write a murderous psychopath ;-P

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Guesswhat

The Secret Society and Legion of Doom are pretty much defunct now, as well as what would have happened. That said, some similar events are still possible if, as you noted, someone tries to form their own group. Alas, the possible candidates are rather slim right now:

Orm is definitely dead, and frankly would have tried to wipe out the surface world again. Aresia, yeah, has pretty much burned all her bridges. A good chunk of the female supervillains are already with Luffy (which does indeed show how few there are), and no guarantee how many of the rest will react to the idea of killing off all the men. Joker . . . even right now people are only following him out of fear, not incentives. He would be hard pressed to keep a massive group like the Legion of Doom under his control without a rebellion of his own. Finally, Luthor is a terrible team player. The Secret Society nearly imploded even without Batman, and he had to keep upping their paycheque. Legion of Doom, he only held the reigns thanks to placing his equivalent of Task Force X/Suicide Squad bombs on his lackies. Whatever you can say about Grodd, the dude was excellent and recruiting and bringing people together (even if telepathic prompts likely factored in to some degree).

Time travel with the Straw Hats would indeed be fun, except the catch is that the future is slowly yet gradually changing because of their presence. No guarantee it will be the _same_ future.

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

Yeees, the League does indeed seem far more hesitant to kill those who appear similar enough to regular Humans. Hypocrisy indeed. Something that honestly I should seriously address in this fic.

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YCG

Hmm, tricky question, but I would say that both Usopp and Luffy are as vulnerable to Fear Toxin. For Luffy, it is more of a hallucinogenic than a true poison, and we have only seen him resistant to various types of poisons. As for Usopp, the Hollow-Hollow Fruit was only useless against those already pessimistic with themselves, and frankly given how readily Usopp scares himself on his own (even now) I can easily see him be overwhelmed by his fears, or at the very least distracted by an onslaught of shifting horrors as he keeps imagining new ones. That said, both Luffy and Usopp DO have the strength of will to overcome it if they recognized what was happening; just like Batman.

As for Joker Venom, Luffy is probably immune to it, like Poison Ivy is. More like an actual poison.

For Sinestro, no he is not a member. Joker is frankly not as good a recruiter as Grodd (addressed in an above Guest Review), and it was unrealistic for him to copy the team perfectly. Moreover, given all the requests and suggestions about Lantern Rings, I decided that IF I was going to do Sinestro, better to do him in another arc where he would get the proper focus. There is too much going on in this arc already.

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Oda

I sincerely doubt that you are actually Eiichiro Oda. If you do end up being him though, I apologize for my blasphemy

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Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

As you can see, Joker has other plans than going for all the nukes in the world, but you are right that is an unfortunate possibility. The Joker would indeed threaten to kill everyone to make every day, laughing day.

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gwencarson126

Sorry for the delay, I was working on my other fics, and real life through a bunch of stuff at me.

LOL yes it has been quite fun having Luthor believe Luffy is a criminal mastermind! X-D True that Luffy is not simply an idiot and has surprising depth and insight, but yeah when villains and heroes learn the truth…it should be very fun to do! ;-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

Planning to finish all my stories, including my poor Naruto: Rise of Uzushiogakure.

Very pleasing to hear I am motivating people to try more One Piece!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

My username is doesthiscountasausername

LOL like your username! X-D

I feel that Joker would be lucky if that is all he suffered if he did something like that . . .

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Whirlybird70

Scarecrow does indeed have a role to play in the future, although he also has some important support ones right now.

Marineford . . . would not be a good place for Luffy to find himself. Heck, it would not be pleasant for anyone for a hundred kilometers if Luffy went berserk over having to relive it . . .

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Fan

Well, I was busy updating stories for which readers were basically asking the same question. Also a lot going on in my personal life.

Glad to know you are enthusiastic for this chapter though :-) Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

.

Guest (please choose name/nickname next time ^^)

(Going to assume you are the same person responsible for this series of Guest Reviews).

Nice to hear how many times you have re-read my fic! :-D But yeah, I have to get around to watching 'Flash' one day myself.

But yes, the Straw Hats have only demonstrated the barest glimmer of what they are capable of. By this point, even Nami and Usopp are probably physically tougher than Batman! O.o

That was a fun scene to write with Luffy in Egypt! X-D

Agreed, Green Lantern in the DCAU does not have any serious sniper accomplishments to his name. Although in the comics he managed to counter-snip across three sectors of space!

If you want to have Luffy tell a good lie, you have to lie to him first and get him to repeat it :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your Review and Support! :-D

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Justice

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Chapter 13: Injustice for All, Part 3

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 _Previously:_

 _Lex Luthor was arrested after being tricked into giving a confession for his crimes, which allowed the Justice League and regular authorities to begin tearing down his criminal empire. In the process he also discovered he was dying from blood poisoning courtesy of a piece of Kryptonite he had been carrying about for too long. Before he could engineer his own prison break, he was rescued by the Joker, whose mutilation at the hands of Sanji has left him more unhinged and dangerous. He introduced Luthor to the pieces of his plan he had already assembled, including an impressive array of supervillains, a lair, and finally the captive Aresia, the rogue Amazonian who had nearly killed off every male on the planet._

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This chapter is an AU of a DCAU episode by the same name.

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November 5

Lips pulled back in a snarl, powerful shock collar around her neck, Aresia gazed hatefully at her captors.

A twitch from Joker however had her glancing at the video screen showing her five Amazon sisters unconscious and chained to a wall, along with an unknown woman. With that reminder, she dropped her gaze to the floor like a 'good girl.'

Passive and submissive, like all men wanted their women.

 **!JUSTICE!**

 _Flashback_

 _She was in the USA air force hanger where her plans had been torn to shreds_

 _"So you see," revealed Queen Hippolyta, "for all your hatred of men, it turns out you owe your life to one."_

 **!JUSTICE!**

Present

Ruthlessly she clamped down on that traitorous memory. It was not like the Queen knew what the ship's captain had planned for her afterwards, once they reached land. Certainly she had admitted she had not thought him important enough to mention until that fateful night.

No, Aresia knew the truth as her sister Amazons had taught her over all those years. The stories they had told her of the evils of males, and their role in all the suffering upon Gaea.

(Except of course for the male Gods, who had allowed the Amazons to be blessed with eternal youth, and a paradise.)

 **!JUSTICE!**

 _Flashback_

 _"Alright," Star Sapphire nervously said, ignoring the downed bodies of Copperhead and the other male supervillains. Dying proof Aresia's allergen worked. "Look. I'm giddy at the idea of a bunch male scumbags I know dying. Really. Like seriously, that's going to be great. It's just, if you kill off all the men, then Humanity's done for! We need them to reproduce!"_

 _Confidently, Aresia walked over to the woman who would become her sister. Just like Hippolyta would have if she were here, she placed a soothing hand on her cheek. "Do not worry, that will not be a problem. If you like the idea of men dying off, you'll love what comes next."_

 _Seeing Star Sapphire's reassurance, and glancing at Tsukuri's stoic patience, she elaborated._

 _"Once I was a normal girl from Man's World. Men destroyed my life and left me to die. By the grace of the Gods though, I washed upon the shores of Themyscira, home of the Amazons."_

 _"Like where Wonder Woman's from?" clarified Star Sapphire._

 _"Precisely. They raised me, taught me, and gave me the same gifts as the rest of them. They taught me how men have corrupted and poisoned this world. Unfortunately," and her genuine regret shone through, "both time and the peaceful life of our paradise has dulled their fire. Isolation keeps them from truly understanding how the world has changed, and become worse. How man's weapons of cruelty had grown over the centuries._

 _"So it falls to us to correct this!_

 _"We will wipe out mankind, and when the Gods look down upon Humankind and see who remains, they will bless all the woman we've liberated with the strength and eternal youth of the Amazons!"_

 _"Just like you," Star Sapphire slowly said, as the true enormity of it all dawned upon her._

 _Knowing they would follow her now to finish her Great Work, Aresia smirked. "Exactly. Like. Me. With the world born anew into one where we are all sisters."_

 **!JUSTICE!**

Present

Pax Amazonia!

The world would know true peace, and the women who had raised her would hail her as a hero.

The End.

A shadow entered her vision as footsteps approached. "My, my," drawled the bald newcomer. "I see you're starting to regret trying to kill me and half the world."

Gritting her teeth, she kept her tongue.

"Well, we can always discuss that later. After all," he lightly tapped her collar, "there's so many people angry at you out there. Many men were too old and sickly to survive what you did to them, or collapsed in dangerous circumstances without any heroes around and got themselves and others killed. There's many grieving women who'd like some words with you too."

 _It would've been worth it_ , she reminded herself. Remembering the destruction of her homeland. The pirates who had killed what was left of her world. The tales her saviours had raised her on.

"I see you're working on a new and improved variant of Joker Venom for worldwide, airborne dispersal," the man continued, delighting in her silence. "I'll be checking your work by the way. Something to remember."

With those parting words, he turned and left. Behind him, the heavy door slammed shut with finality.

On the screen, she saw the man she knew as Parasite –if only by reputation, and what her captors had told her—approach her Amazonian sisters. They fidgeted in place, yet by their eyes she knew they were not truly aware of what was happening to them. Parasite put one palm on the forehead of Myrto, a beautiful blonde who loved the sea, as fearsome a warrior as any, and even through the haze of drugs she screamed in agony as crackling light played over her body and into her tormenter, along with her power.

Satisfied, Parasite turned to the next one, and Aresia forced herself to look away from the reminder of what would happen if she failed to cooperate.

With all the strength of will of an Amazon, she fought back any traitorous tears. _Oh my Queen, Princess Diana, why did you two betray me?_

 _Why are you leaving us here to suffer at their hands?_

 **!JUSTICE!**

After that little session, Lex found himself feeling a bit more optimistic about working with the Joker.

Well, 'working with' was stretching it. In the past, the best they had managed was 'tenuous allies,' with it ending in mutual betrayal. As it was, he had only cooperated this long because he knew that refusing Joker's so-called 'offer,' equaled death. Probably a physically torturous, and personally humiliating one.

Out of the corner of his eye he glanced once more at the madman—a madman who had become even more twisted than he would have thought possible. While still wearing his trademark purple suit, his face continued to be frozen into a permanent frown, robbing him of the ability to laugh. A loss to his identity that driven him to greater heights of insanity and violence.

The mutilated corpses near the beginning of the tour of this secret base were a testament to that.

So he would play along for now, and dispose of Joker properly before he decided to unleash an Aresia enhanced Joker Venom globally.

Overall though, despite that dangerous issue, and his own failing health, he was feeling optimistic. So _many_ possibilities for him to take advantage of here!

"Alright," he began. "You don't only need my scientific brilliance, or experience fighting the Justice League, you need me to ensure her own research and development is genuine. Not only to create whatever Joker Venom variant you have in mind, but to ensure that whatever it is can circumvent whatever countermeasures the Straw Hats possess." Because if there was anyone who could anticipate her to such a degree, by all accounts it was Dr. Tony-Tony Chopper. Doubtless his own respectable intellect had led him to create means to prevent a repeat of that fiasco. The equivalent of vaccines and pre-existing antidotes to handle any new concoctions of the one enemy to warrant the Straw Hats going out of their way to personally deal with.

"Precisely! With her newest brand of poisons—"

 _She uses allergens_ , silently corrected Lex. _Hmmm, maybe he's ignorant enough for me to take advantage of that._

"—we'll have the perfect tool necessary to take them out! Although we've got to keep it all hush-hush."

"Oh?" Lex raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I would've thought you were planning to use her as bait for both them and the League. Neither would tolerate letting her running around free." Frowning, "In fact, why hasn't the Justice League put out an alert for her?"

"Because they don't know, silly!"

"What? But Wonder Woman—"

"How's about I start at the beginning? Y'see, there I was preparing for my Halloween jollies, and wearing a hazmat suit to be safe. Then all my henchmen start falling down around me. I investigated, and caught up as our honoured guest was being taken away back home with Bird-Brain, Wonder Chumpette, and mommy. While they were preoccupied, I snagged a little tracker inside their ride. They took her to prison, and then the same Javelin later took her to the home of the Amazons. Ol' Batsy must've been still recovering to have missed it, and by now it'll have disintegrated. It was small, so small signal, except I already knew they were around the Mediterranean, and thought it a prudent investment to pop on over to take a look. Got the coordinates, and later decided to pay a little visit. Their jail cells are kept isolated from the goody-goodies, as in on the other side of where everyone else lives, and from what Parasite dragged out of her guards' minds, we've still got about a week or three until their relief toddles along with fresh supplies."

One part of Lex's mind noted how Joker continued to act more like his old self, despite the permanent frown, the more animated he became about his plan to kill the Straw Hats. The rest of him was amazed at the sheer incompetence involved on behalf of the Amazons. Granted, he was proof of how porous American prisons could be, yet they were not _that_ bad! _So much for promising to keep an immortal jailed by fellow immortals! If she'd simply been executed for war crimes, I wouldn't be in this mess!_

 _Superman,you sentimental_ fool _, if you truly believed in Justice over making nice to your adoring fans, you'd have killed her on the spot!_

"Does . . . your former associate know about this?"  
Predictably Joker began ranting again on how he wanted to torture his ex-girlfriend, with the upshot being she was in the dark. Harley Quinn had been running errands at the time in preparation for Halloween.

"Very well," allowed Lex when the maniac ran out of steam. "That said, outside of using Aresia's former guards to empower Parasite, it hardly seems worth the risk of having her around. Even with her countrywomen as hostages, she may still betray us out of fanaticism, if nothing else."

"True, although that's why I wanted Scarecrow onboard. Not only does he keep Parasite's little toys all drugged up so they can't resist him," –for one of the drawbacks of Parasite stealing memories, was that his target could overwhelm him in turn and take over _his_ body— "is to keep up a psychiatric assessment of her. Shock collar seems to work, but I'm not taking chances. A little Fear Toxin laced into her food, observing her behaviour, you know the drill. Heh, she doesn't even know how the guard system's supposed to work, so she thinks the Amazons already know she and others are missing and unable to find them. Every day they don't show up, kills a little more hope. So altogether I'm keeping her so carefully afraid for her people, she'll do whatever we say."

"Diligent of you," complimented Lex. Unfortunately he was still trying to convince Joker that she and her work was expendable, and even a liability to be disposed of. _One more push, and if no success, I'll drop it. For now_.

"I still don't see why you feel you need her," he smirked with genuine anticipation. "With a team like you've assembled, we're sure to take down the Justice League and Straw Hats!" He was very careful not to say "I."

Joker snorted.

"I beg your pardon," Lex calmly asked, partially insulted, partially concerned he had pushed too far, while also letting slip his ambitions too much.

"You really have no idea who we're messing with, do you?" sighed Joker, his frowning face fitting with the grim words. "The Straw Hats are a lot more powerful than they let on. For example, the profiles the League's been putting out? They think that big burst of fire from when I was taken down was that Volcana. Or maybe some bomb of mine. The kids were too terrified to be good little stoolies, crime scene was too disrupted by amateurs, and I got away fast enough. They think Blackfoot only has enhanced strength, not flaming powers too. Besides, I've been pounded on enough times by Bats that I know when someone's holding back. Not to mention that level of . . . control." His face spasmed in memory. "Sure, maybe Batsy's suspicious, but a control freak like him won't tell people about mere _speculations_."

Lex thought back over all the reports he had read, the videos he had watched. "You think they're holding back. Hiding their true strength," he thought curiously. "Yes, I can see Monkey pulling off something like that. Why, I bet even his alias is to help us underestimate him. All part of a much grander scheme."

To his surprise, Joker twitched, before leveling a long look on Lex. Slowly he nodded, "Yes of course. That old conniver Monkey. What a mind," he said with a knowing glint in his eyes.

For some reason it almost seemed like he was being sarcastic.

" _Anyways_ , what my point in all this is, we can't guarantee beating 'em mono-oh-mono. Even with this team. Our own little, hmmm, _Injustice League_."

"Hence the chemical warfare," conceded Lex. "Infect the majority of them, while we take out the rest."

"Precisely! Even if it's just the women left healthy again, well, we're sure to take 'em with this kind of muscle."

"Very well."

They walked in silence for a few minutes as Lex turned over details in his mind. Possibilities and opportunities. Some of the other supervillains trailing along were not so reserved.

"So where are we?" asked Star Sapphire. She had pointedly made no reaction to Aresia being a prisoner.

"Oh, something Grodd hollowed out for his own master plan. We all know how that turned out for him."

"Those workshops we saw, I'll need to make some new guns," said Deadshot.

"Go right ahead."

After a few more minutes of their blathering, they split off to take care of business. Or to make space from their new boss. Whatever. With them out of the way, Joker led Lex and Ultra-Humanite to a private lab for them both, inviting them with a grandstanding gesture. "I'm sure you'll find everything you need here to help you, Lexy."

"If not, then I'll just make whatever equipment's necessary," he lightly boasted.

"Good, good." Ultra-Humanite quietly began preparations for his plan to handle Lex's Kryptonite poisoning. Obviously he was eavesdropping, even if Joker said nothing about that.

"Now that they're not around, are you sure it's wise having Aresia's former henchwomen here?"

"Bah, they're of no concern. Well, alright, they would be a concern if they had the spine."

"Ah," nodded Lex. "You have the others keeping an eye on them."

"Well yes, but also I doubt they're going to want to side with the loser. That's why I let them see her on camera in chains and all. They're smart cookies, and more interested in their own skins. Dangle the temptation of being part of the team to kill the Straw Hats and Justice League, along with all the cash they can nab afterwards, and that'll smother any other temptations to be naughty. So long as we keep an eye on 'em, and keep up security on Parasite's pretty batteries, they'll be no trouble at all."

He nodded to indicate he was satisfied. For now. He had not forgotten how Star Sapphire and Tsukuri had been actively complicit in helping Aresia try and kill him, along with the rest of Humanity. There would be a reckoning.

Changing the subject, he projected a sense of interest. "Do you by chance have any blood samples of the Amazonians handy? I would love to study them."

Giving an exaggerated shrug, Joker said, "Of course. Although you'll be disappointed to know only Swimsuit Woman can fly for some reason."

"Curious." Luthor stroked his chin in thought. "Is it because she's royalty?"

"We're going to kill her, why'd you care?" deadpanned the clown.

"Oh, I'm sure you know how the little details can have big consequences," Luthor casually said. Truthfully, it was very possible it was irrelevant, yet you never knew. "Regardless, maybe I can learn something from their genome. Replicate it."

"I confess," Joker slowly nodded, "that would be very . . . very . . . _very_ appreciated. The strength to do whatever I wanted to some of those . . . people. Even sickened by our little biohazardous gifts, even when they're helpless, it'll be hard to actually hurt people that tough. To cut 'em. Like Superman I imagine. Regardless, once they're strapped down, I want to be able to be strong enough to do what _ever_ I want. Because guys and gals like 'em? They think they know what suffering and pain and evil are all about, but I'm going to _educate_ 'em. Slowly. Teach them what the world's _really_ like."

Shrugging, Lex gave a small nod. "Indeed, despite what they've already achieved, they appear rather . . . sentimental overall. Oh, yes, the blue-haired one, Roronoa Zoro, and Miss All-Sunday can be fairly brutal at times, yet they're in the minority. Not something appreciated by the rest. Otherwise they wouldn't have taken such pains to make the majority of their crimes as victimless as possible. Or," briefly pausing to give Joker a pointed look, "leaving you or those heroes alive to continue pursuing them. Hunting them."

While the Clown Prince's eyes narrowed, his frown twitched so much you knew it was meant to be a smile.

 **!JUSTICE!**

The escape of Lex Luthor from prison had not gone unnoticed. Especially given how many supervillains had gone with him, and the number of corpses left behind.

Batman was the last to the Watchtower, having been held up with a hostage situation back in Gotham, along with a host of other serious crimes. Ignoring the other members of the Justice League, he stormed into the monitor room, and started pulling up surveillance footage from the prison, showcasing the break-in.

"I thought they took down the security cameras?" asked a puzzled Green Lantern.

"This is my own private system," was the terse reply. "I installed them after the interview with Star Sapphire about which villains she believed the Straw Hats had recruited. While we later confirmed that Deadshot and Copperhead had not been accepted, given the degree of loyalty the pirates had already demonstrated for each other, it was possible they would attempt something similar. Or try and recruit from other prisoners. So I installed my own surveillance."

"Again with that going on about them. And aren't you being a little paranoid, Bats?" complained Flash. They all could see he was a little impressed though.

For his own part, Batman ignored the man's blathering. The speedster failed to see how the threat the Straw Hats posed was not just a physical one. Not precisely.

In Gotham, a large part of his success lay in the image of himself he was able to create within the minds of the people, particularly criminals. The 'myth' if you will, that he was Vengeance in the Night for the Innocent. That he could not be beaten. Could not be stopped. Could not be escaped from. It creeped into their hearts and minds. That sheer terror kept those lowlifes in a state of mild panic. Made them sloppy. Gave him that little edge to win against all odds.

For the Justice League, the myth needed to be that they were heroes, and ones who would always save the day, no matter the odds. Enough to not only ensure that the citizens of the world and governments would endorse what was a team of super-powered individuals, but to also help convince villains they should not even try. Because why bother going to all that effort when you _knew_ the Justice League would win?

The Straw Hats were a threat to this belief. The sheer possibility of being able to defeat the League in combat, including even Superman, was bad enough; the fact remained that in all their clashes so far, the pirates had _won_. They had gotten their money, and made a clean escape without repercussion. A pattern that more and more people were taking note of.

Worst of all was the fact they did not leave behind as many victims or corpses as traditional villains –which, yes, was appreciated— meant some were romanticizing them as criminals. People like that overlooked the destruction and havoc they always left behind, and he knew the scope of their crimes would only escalate. It always did.

 _Although they're not the biggest threat right now_ , he darkly acknowledged.

Aloud all he said was, "This is how I knew Star Sapphire was going to attempt to escape last week, and sent Superman and Green Lantern to head her off. This time I was taken by surprise." Seeing how that little tidbit had taken the wind out of any righteous indignation for now, he turned his attention back to the video footage.

Silently they watched the whole thing, as Batman's system even had audio.

" _—most of all_ , _to_ help me kill those bloody Straw Hats!"

"Well," Flash managed after watching the supervillains walk off-screen, "this isn't good."

"No joke," growled Green Lantern.

"Hera," whispered Diana. While she had not battled with some of those criminals herself, she was well acquainted with their records. As for their leader . . .

For Batman, there were no words for the scope of this disaster. While a part of him wanted to boldly declare he would take the lead on this, he knew it would be suicide.

"This isn't going to be easy, even for us," remarked Superman. Turning to their resident expert, he asked, "Any suggestions on how to find Joker?"

". . . No," and how he _hated_ that hesitation. "Not if he's gone this far out of character. Even at his most insane, there was always some sort of overall pattern to it all, even if only in hindsight. Now though, he already changed his objective and methodology. He's gone bigger. When we find him, he's going to have to be our priority target. Along with Luthor of course."

Despite their veteran experience, the rest of the League was slightly nervous by what the Dark Knight had both pointedly said and _not_ said. For if the Joker was someone even Batman was wary of facing, it spoke volumes of how dangerous the madman had become.

With one exception.

Heedless of the challenge before them, Superman remained as confident as ever, which tampered down the tiny flickers of concern in the others. Helping them acknowledge the threat so it would be to their advantage, as opposed to a hindrance.

This may very well be the greatest test the League had faced since their formation, and they would rise to the occasion.

No matter the personal cost, they would protect this world from the madness and evil of men like Joker, and those now following him.

"So what's the plan then?" Superman asked. "Get more information first?"

"Precisely," nodded Batman. "Whatever Joker's planning, it'll be big, and that'll leave a trail. People going quiet, or making lots of chatter. Getting resources. We'll start by checking our sources. Updating local authorities. We'll also need to see if he's recruiting other supervillains."

"We know the drill," Hawkgirl sharply said, ready to get to work.

"We should work in teams if we're going to risk bumping into that kind of firepower," threw in Green Lantern. With a huff, the Thanagarian went to a computer terminal to begin pulling up other supervillains at large.

"Y'know, we should probably warn the Straw Hats," popped in Flash. "Like, make it public, or at least drop a note at one of those companies we suspect are theirs, to at least give 'em a head's up they're Joker's target."

"And risk them seeking out Joker themselves, and tearing up a city as they fight it out?" snapped Batman. "No."

"But—!"

" _No_."

"Let's first see what we can find out ourselves," Superman diplomatically interjected. "Hopefully we can sort this out ourselves before it goes any further."

"Fine!" sulked Flash.

"It's possible they'll go hunting anyways," warned J'onn. "They were the ones to mutilate Joker, and may wish to pre-emptively handle him."

"Nothing we can do about that," grunted Green Lantern. "Let's first worry about what the mass murdering psychopath's doing next."

"What about Joker recruiting more criminals from Gotham?" asked Wonder Woman. The chaos in that city was ongoing despite the help she had been giving, as gangs battled for domination. Batman refused to let any other Leaguers in, and she was only there because she ignored his refusals. It still seemed reasonable for Joker to strike Arkham Asylum to grab more allies though.

"He would have done so already if he was planning to," dismissed the Dark Knight. "Moreover, the majority of supervillains and mob bosses left there would shoot at him too, and make enough of a ruckus to tell us where he is." She frowned a little at his acidic tone, yet nodded at the wisdom of his words.

"At least we know it'll be confined to the US, given that's where the Straw Hat's operate," Flash cheerfully pointed out. "Plus, with Shining Knight we've got an even number of people."

"So glad to be of service," the man smiled good-naturedly.

"Enough talking and get to work," growled Batman as he stalked out.

Right behind him, Superman, "Alright, sounds like a plan."

 **!JUSTICE!**

November 8

One activity that Maureen and Volcana particularly enjoyed bonding over was the ancient and sacred art of shopping. Given their respective histories, being able to freely stroll about in public to buy whatever they wanted was a luxury beyond words.

Oh, granted, it was not perfect. Nami was hardly going to give them sacks of cash to spend after all. Although Volcana's pay cheque, and Maureen's allowance, were quite respectable. Also, to throw off any potential pursuit, it was necessary to only do it in cities other than where their base was located. Plus, as a wanted felon, it was necessary for the pyrokinetic to disguise herself.

"That's pretty cool," said Maureen with awe.

"Practice makes perfect," Volcana proudly smiled, adjusting the last hairband. "I can teach you if you want."

A point of pride for her, was her long mane of red hair, stretching down to her ankles. Unfortunately, she had been forced to accept that it was a tad too distinctive, the sort of thing that led people to find her, even during her time as an involuntary government assassin. So she had taken the time to master the Secret Womanly Arts of Hairstyles. Her time imprisoned by Superman on that island had led her to experiment more with braiding her hair, making it her newest preferred method. Now she could compress the whole mass into something much smaller and more manageable, if still artistic, and then cover that up with whatever suited her. Voila!

(Washing the whole mess of it was a painful, if necessary, price to be gorgeous.)

Today's choice of a finishing touch was a turquoise scarf over her head, which went perfectly with the autumn weather. While the sunglasses she put on next were not as seasonal, their rich green tint disguised her red eyes without making it seem obvious, like the dark shades she used to favour, while making it seem like an act of vanity. Well, they _did_ make her look more beautiful, except that was beside the point.

"Hey! Can I come along too?"

Looking around, they saw a beaming Luffy jogging up to them, waving his hand even though they could clearly see him. "You and Mauri are going shopping, yeah?"

"Yep!" chirped Maureen.

"Can I come along too?" repeated Luffy, all but hopping around.

"I thought you were the one who said we had to lay low?" pointed out Volcana, trying to resist his charms. It was like a puppy wanting to go out and play. All bright and innocent.

Deflating at that, he gave a sullen response, "I know. I just want to get out for some fresh air and see some interesting stuff. Besides," –his mega-watt grin was back at full strength— "you and Mauri and can help remind me to keep out of trouble."

"I'm not a babysitter." She diligently did not look at Maureen, who she knew wanted Luffy to come along. Worse, there was good reason too, for while he not the best role model, he did know how to help someone who had been tormented by loneliness for too long. He was friendly, outgoing, and knew just how much physical contact to give to someone who had been touch starved. He always seemed to know just the right time and place to rest an encouraging hand on her shoulder, wrap her up in a hug, and other actions of warmth for someone who not too long ago would have risked freezing him to death for such gestures.

Fortunately –and predictably— her control of her powers had improved with Chopper's medications, and being allowed to feel safe and comfortable once again.

Succinctly, his wild habits aside, Luffy was good for Maureen.

Or so she would like to believe.

"Awwwww, c'mon," he pressed, hopping from one foot to the next, still smiling ear to ear. "It'll be great! When's the last time it's been just the three of us?"

Despite his sunshine routine, Volcana hesitated. Recent events had been an eye-opener for her regarding her boss. Her . . . friend?

While he was not a danger to her and her charge, intentionally, the fact remained that the mysteries surrounding him and the rest were continuing to grow. Moreover, for all of Luffy's authority, the core members of their gang preferred to keep an eye on him.

Were Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and the rest letting him go with her as a way of demonstrating they trusted her?

"Does anyone else know you're coming along?" she hedged.

"Nah. They were arguing over what sick pig I would do best with, so I left them to it. Besides! It'll be fine!"

Maureen looked at Volcana with a confused look, her nose crunched cutely, and mouthed, "sick pig?" and Volcana only shrugged helplessly, eyeing the still-beaming Luffy. It was probably something to do with food. It was always was with him.

Faced with that wide smile and faith, she could only do the same. As had been happening increasingly lately, there was also a strange warmth in her chest.

 _Yes, it'll be fine. I doubt they'll even notice we're gone._

 **!JUSTICE!**

It has been remarked that a bored Luffy is a terrifying thing.

An _unsupervised_ and bored Luffy is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. An immutable law of physics. Made somehow worse by how he does not go _looking_ to cause chaos, or be malicious about it. It is simply an inevitable consequence.

So obviously, one would assume the rest of the Straw Hats would be keeping their customary close eye on their Captain. Alas, they were all a bit distracted by events going on in the rec room.

Robin and Brook were playing what was probably the most epic game of ping-pong ever. She was currently sporting eight arms, each of which was wielding a paddle. In contrast, he only had one, yet the speed and precision of his arms honestly surpassed even Zoro—if not the man's power and skill. Regardless, it was a duel of quality versus quantity as the ball rocketed back and forth between them, while a small audience cheered.

Franky, Chopper, and Usopp were in a lively argument over which Houses the Straw Hats would be sorted into if they went to Hogwarts.

(Hogwarts = Hog + Warts = sick pig = yucky meat.)

Luffy had wandered off after they had concluded he would be a Hufflepuff. Not because they discounted his staggering commitment to his ambition, bravery (although Usopp had argued it was less courage, and more that he literally did not understand fear, so it did not count), or surprising chivalry. It was merely because of how they perceived him as the warm glue that held their nakama together, and treasured his friends so fiercely; ergo, Hufflepuff, and they were confident that was what he would choose if Sorted.

The easiest ones to Sort were Robin and Nami, as both of them were Slytherin to the core, with a touch of Ravenclaw. Nami would have all the ambitious little brats under her complete control, assuming possession of all their assets, while as a side project she would manage the whole school budget—probably even finding the money for better teachers, so as to not waste her tuition. Nor would she tolerate Voldemort's attempts to 'poach' _her_ minions! During all of this, obviously Robin would help from the shadows, pulling the strings. Although Usopp had argued she may try to go to Hufflepuff to disguise herself as innocent sheep, until he was overruled by the 'Dark Lady' herself, when she briefly paused her game. "I think black and green suit me better," she said with mysterious smile that made even Chopper shiver a little.

(About half an hour had been lost in an argument over whether being proficient in Haki, otherwise known as "ambition," indicated you held strong traits for Slytherin within you, with no conclusive answer.)

Their present argument was a down and dirty one on whether Zoro belonged in Slytherin for his own ambition, or Gryffindor for his reckless need to charge into danger. The man in question was studiously ignoring them, including Franky's impassioned speech that his bravery was merely a reflection of his commitment to his SUPER Man's Dream.

As for Luffy, they _assumed_ he had gone to join the crowd watching the ping-pong game, or entertain himself with the chess game. Not the game of strategy itself of the course, but the show that was the players themselves.

After all, everyone else was crowded around the match going on between Harley and Sanji. They were surprisingly evenly skilled too. While Harley was insane, she was also brilliant enough to use that to her advantage, making bold, seemingly random, high risk plays that could pay off spectacularly. Not to mention the ex-psychiatrist was good at getting into the heads of people, with this game being an excellent example. While usually the pirate's resident tactician would rather gut himself than 'beat' a woman in any manner, this time she had promised him two kisses if he won. Because she wanted a good competition.

(She never specified the kisses would be from Bud and Lou the Hyenas, or where.)

For a prize such as that, Sanji would do everything short of selling his own soul to win!

(Although the only reason selling his soul was not an option was because Nami had forbidden the Straw Hats from doing so.)

 **!JUSTICE!**

[Flashback]

 _"If anyone's going to be selling any of your souls, it's gonna be me!" declared Nami._

 _"""NOOOOOOO!""" screamed Luffy, Brook, Chopper, and Usopp all together._

 _"Tch, that just proves you're a witch," went Zoro._

 _As he was out of arm's reach, and Sanji was absent (he was informed of this new decree later), she merely stuck her tongue out at him while winking._

 _"Although," and now the swordsman's expression lit up with interest, "it might be interesting to fight the Devil in Hell."_

 _"Eh," dismissed Luffy, "place's overrated."_

 _"Heh," grinned Grundy. "Good one."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"Your joke about being in Hell," clarified the zombie. He was proud of his improving sense of humour thanks to Brook._

 _For a moment Luffy looked confused, before a series of emotions flashed over his face too fast to identify. "I've broken in and out of Hell," he flatly informed them._

 _The recruited supervillains looked at the man they knew to be incapable of lying, and eyes widened in shock and no small amount of fear. They also caught how the rest of the Straw Hats clamped down on their emotions . . . and failing, as however briefly a haunted look still shone through for them all. Even Sanji had mysteriously appeared._

 _Needing to be sure, Cheetah carefully asked, "You were in Hell. The actual Hell. Like the whole levels of torment?" She mean 'circles of Hell,' yet was still adjusting._

 _"That's what I said!" Luffy snapped crossly. "I had to go down there."_

 _Luffy went thoughtful, which was very strange. It made his words weigh more. That was until his words were finally and fully registered._

 _"YO— . . . You wanted to get into hell?"_

 _"WHY?"_

 _"HOW?"_

 _"No, why? WHY? JUST WHY!?"_

 _Luffy had very fierce look in his eyes, that was tainted with sadness and regret._

 _"I just had to."_

 _The other villains wanted to demand some kind of explanation, yet not only was there Luffy's expression to consider, each of them suddenly felt a heavy hand on their shoulder's from a Straw Hat standing behind them, and the death glare the other Straw Hats were giving them, made them think better of it._

 _"It was easier getting in, than getting out." Luffy finally announced._

 _No one dared even comment about that. The atmosphere was suffocating._

 _Suddenly he beamed a grin once more. "In fact, that's where I met Jinbe!"_

 _They all could breathe again._

 _The Earth natives turned to the massive, beastly being. A flicker of sorrow went through his eyes, before a glint of mischief took place. With a solemn nod he confirmed it. "Indeed, and I was most surprised to see him in the deepest pit of it!"_

 _"Yeah! Glad though, 'cause that's how we met!"_

 _"Indeed, that remains a special moment for me."_

 _"I also met Iva-chan there."_

 _Sanji had sudden coughing fit. He didn't even have his cigarette in his mouth; choking on air._

 _"Who is that?" Cheetah asked dreading the answer._

 _"He is the Queen of the Okama! Uhm, or is it king? . . . I think it's the Queen. Right, Sanji?"_

 _Sanji's coughing intensified._

 _"What does he do?"_

 _"He's some kind of miracle worker. Oh, and if you annoy him enough, he can turn you into women! Or into men, and then turn you back again."_

 _"Hell has okama? And they're important there?" whispered Poison Ivy. The man-hater had honestly never given much thought to transsexuals before._

 _Then a new, potentially horrifying question arose:_

 _Was Sanji originally a woman?_

 _What. The. What. Huh!?_

 _Brain stalled, she nearly missed Volcana's question._

 _"I have a question. Is the hell hot or cold?"_

 _"What? Why ask that."_

 _"What?! Some say that hell fire will burn you, and some say it'll freeze you, so which is it?"_

 _Luffy answered with shrug "Both. All. There was fire, boiling blood, ice cold, like so cold I almost froze without Iva's help, and there're plants that cut you up, beasts, and . . . the bastard hydra was hard to beat."_

 _"Hydra, as in the serpent-like monster with three heads? That Hydra?"_

 _"Yeah, he was a real pain!"_

 _"Do you think it's too late for me to change my path and become a good law-abiding citizen . . . ?" wondered Clayface mournfully._

 _"Eh, don't worry," Luffy said with a dismissive gesture. "I'll just break in, and get you out."_

That _finally stunned the supervillains into complete silence._

 _The moment stretched on, with no one knowing what else to say. So, feeling bored, their leader declared, "So what's for dinner?"_

 _With that, Luffy skipped off to find Sanji._

 _The rest of the Straw Hats followed after him, with Nami pausing in passing long enough to delicately close Cheetah's open mouth._

 **!JUSTICE!**

Present

So Sanji stuffed tissues up his nose for every time Harley batted her eyes at him, and committed himself to victory. Chopper gave up on trying to stop him, despite the risk of a repeat of the disaster of meeting the mermaids.

(He had been stockpiling the man's blood since then anyways, to help prevent a repeat. With enough enthusiasm to make Usopp speculate Chopper had become part-vampire during their two year separation—which of course Robin considered adorable.)

Zoro was having fun razing him, because he figured win or lose, he would be seeing the chef moaning in despair.

Good times, good times.

 **!JUSTICE!**

It was a long drive to the neighbouring city, and Volcana's will broke down about halfway there.

Luffy and Maureen were in the back, talking about anything from TV shows one minute, to giggling together about Usopp's latest prank against Sanji, and the inevitable retaliation.

"Y'know, Luffy," the older and definitely more mature of the three of them finally said, "if I didn't know better, I'd almost think you guys could be heroes. Like the Justice League."

"Huh," he responded, puzzled. "Why?"

It was a fair question. Indeed, one that she and the other new recruits had danced around in the past regarding the Straw Hats. Except then something would happen, like Robin giving hints to her own bloody history. The kind that would have someone charged with _war crimes_ if it was ever traced back to her.

There was a darkness of sorts in their pasts, of that there was no question. The evidence lay in not only scars they bore –and she knew they would have more if not for Chopper's miracle cures— but in the ease with which they slipped into violence. The bloodthirsty expression on Zoro's face at even the mention of possibly fighting strong foes. The combat training they threw themselves into with sweat and blood. The familiarity and preference in committing crimes.

However, she was inclined to believe it had been circumstances which had pushed them into such lifestyles. Some were born into loving and comfortable lives without any threats to them, and other people . . . were not so fortunate.

Like herself. And like her, they had raised themselves above that, meaning any gestures of pity would be taken as the insult they were.

None of her business either.

Until Clayface had mentioned Blackbeard.

The very mention of that name had raised an incandescent rage in the usually happy-go-lucky, self-proclaimed captain, which had been terrifying in its intensity as it strained against its leash. Moreover, she and the other newbies continued to have _no idea_ of what really triggered it.

Up to that point, she had thought she understood Luffy.

While immature, he was good with people. Selfish, yet incredibly kind at the same time without it seeming like a contradiction. More of a selfish desire to see those around him be happy. Dumb . . . yeah, he was an idiot most of the time. Except for how he had been smart enough to surround himself with some pretty bright people. Whimsical, even if he stuck to whatever had caught his fancy.

Strong. Yes, very strong. She suspected it would take her hottest flames for him to be seriously hurt by her. Moreover, whether it was because of that power, or something else, people felt compelled to obey him when he was serious and giving out commands. Something that made him stand taller than everyone around him, making them trust he knew the right thing to do.

A complicated mixture once you got to know him, for sure. Despite this, after a life of having to know exactly what kind of people she was dealing with, Volcana had believed she had gained his measure. Until she had seen another side to him when that name was uttered.

For all that he wore his emotions openly on his face, it was patently clear there were hidden, dark currents to him.

 _Dangerous_ currents.

But . . .

For all that . . .

For all her justifiable concerns, including why she did not want Maureen too involved in their activities . . .

The Straw Hats make her feel _safe_ and _warm_. She _laughs_ without scorn or malice as she has not since before her parents sold her to the government. Sees them helping Harley and Maureen heal, letting Clayface and Cheetah know the wonder of acceptance, and even prickly Poison Ivy is lightening up when she is supposed to hate all humans, particularly men. A gang of highly aggressive control freaks on the run from the law and capes, finding themselves able to relax for days on end.

(Before they had all been on their own, and Volcana knew nothing else would have brought them together into being this strange group of friends.)

The type of people who might rob and steal from the banks one moment, and the next rise to the defense of the weak being bullied.

(So long as the injustice was right front of their faces; they would not go seeking it out. They were not angels.)

For crying out loud, she knew they could have found ways to make a profit other than making wonder medicine, or they could have gouged their prices higher for that matter!

Luffy may be a criminal, but he was also a _kind_ one. The first she had ever met. Which should be impossible, since 'criminal' and 'kind' should not go together, as this was no Robin Hood story, nor a piece fiction. Except with him . . . it felt _right_.

No, what she was now coming to suspect was the Straw Hats had all been supervillains –or worse— at one point in their lives (even if she had never heard of them before), whom Luffy had sought out and brought together. Helping them reform into people they could be proud of once more. Providing them with a home. Companionship. Family. Which felt in a way, just like what he was doing for her and the other newbies.

Gently guiding and encouraging until they were what she could already see herself, and Cheetah, Poison Ivy, Harley, and all the rest becoming . . .

All of it had been so confusing that it had been one of the reasons she had thrown herself so much into her combat training lately, trying to put the stress aside. Not that it had successfully stopped the thoughts from bouncing around.

"It's just . . ." Volcana hesitated as she tried to find words to suffice without confusing him. "All of you, seem more like the type to protect people, to help them. Not abuse or take advantage of them. Nami acts greedy, and she is, yet I've also seen her slip money to the homeless who are honestly trying to make a living, and don't do drugs. When we were slipping by that apartment window and heard that abusive husband, well, it was probably the angriest I've ever seen Zoro when he went to _deal_ with the man. I don't know why you're all into this theft and secrecy, even if deep down I know a big part of what you're doing is for the sake of each other.

"Honestly, all together, I wouldn't be surprised to see you guys going around as caped heroes. Or vigilantes at worse."

Maureen dutifully nodded, while Luffy seemed to think it over before shrugging (with his thin, thin shoulders she knew hid a strength that could crush steel) and gave a sigh. "We just do what we want to do. We're not heroes though, because we're not giving up our meat. Or our booze. Or gold."

". . . Huh?"

"Heroes are the kind of guys who if they have a bunch of meat will share it with others! I'm not that kind of guy!"

"No, that's not it!" she hotly rebutted. "Heroes are . . ." Words failed her as she trailed off as she tried to elaborate.

 _What_ does _make a person a hero . . . ?_

Taking her silence as an answer, Luffy gave a cheeky grin. "See what I mean? I'll leave that sort of stuff to Superman. He's seems the type to share his meat around."

"Or leave you trapped on an island," she muttered, before clearing her throat. "He still fights to save the planet though. People look up to him."

Unfortunately, she knew there was more to being a hero than only that.

A part of her marvelled that a part of her still believed in heroes after everything that had happened to her. The true depravations and cruelties mankind was capable of. When she escaped the life of a government weapon, she had been branded as a villain.

The world was not as black and white as Superman believed.

"Or," she managed to force out, "simply helping people out. Er, guess you don't need powers. It's what actions you take . . .?"

"Well," now Luffy's smile was kinder as he stared at Volcana, carrying a hint of the young man's hidden core of wisdom, "if a hero is measured by protecting people and being someone to be admired, then you'd be a hero too."

A glance in the rear-view mirror at Maureen's adoration and Luffy's naked respect was more than she could stomach. Gulping hard, her eyes swiveled back to fixate on the road ahead.

Volcana was quiet for the rest of the drive, while after a few minutes Maureen and Luffy went back to talking about everything and nothing.

 **!JUSTICE!**

"Surprised you didn't have an aneurysm over taking her queen," mocked Zoro. Indeed, Chopper was clearly observing, clipboard at the ready as he took notes to record the chef's medical condition.

"Shut. It. Mosshead," growled Sanji as he put aside Harley's former chess piece. _Although maybe if I asked her for psychiatric counseling because I was 'traumatized' by it? Alone? And then we could—_ He banished that mental though. It had only been a few days really since she had broken away from the Joker. Let her heal at her own pace.

A rumbling voice carried over the room. "Good, very good, Grundy." Glancing over, they saw the zombie and Jinbe now playing air hockey. "You need to use precise strength to play properly, and can still have fun at it too."

While it was a little funny given how tiny the Fishman's arms were in comparison, Grundy's beaming smile on his pale, cracked face, was a thing of beauty.

By the massive big-screen TV, Usopp was sorting through various films they had 'liberated' at one point or another. "No, not _Romeo and Juliet_ ," he finally decided. "Don't get me wrong, I trust you if you say it's a classic."

"It really is," said Clayface. "So what's wrong?"  
"The romantic tragedy part. When we're all supposed to be crying, Robin'll be giggling, and that's always all sorts of creepy."

"Ah. Yes."

They sorted through some more, aiming for something they would all enjoy.

(Every pirate film was conspicuously absent.)

"Zombie thriller?" offered Clayface. "I doubt Grundy'd mind."

Shuddering, Usopp shook his head. "No thanks. Brings back bad memories."

"Y'know," commented Cheetah, lounging on a nearby couch, "I know you guys are private about your pasts, but sometimes I wonder if we'd even believe you if you _did_ tell us it all."

Snorting, Usopp shook his head. "You have no idea. Everything from a fish that eats islands to Luffy running around carrying beautiful princesses."

Both Earth natives twitched at that last one. "Should we be worrying about mini-Luffy's running around?" Cheetah cautiously asked. The idea that there might be more of, well, _Luffy_ , was disconcerting.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA! NO! Don't you worry, even if Luffy knew how, Sanji'd have strangled him already! Ain't that right . . . Luffy?" The last bit was broken off in a painful whisper as Usopp whirled around.

No Luffy.

A chill racing up and down his spine, he brought up his Observation Haki, and looked around in every direction with his enhanced vision and growing senses. Cheetah and Clayface were clearly curious as he ignored them.

If he ever got around to making a rulebook on being a Straw Hat (which would be filled with a long, long, loooooong list of Things Not To Do), the first rule would be:

Nakama forever.

Rule #2?

Always make sure Luffy's supervised.

Rule #3 was don't leave Luffy supervising the food. Not unless you wanted to starve.

Robotically he drew his slingshot, snatched up a new seed he and Ivy had developed, and fired it at the chessboard.

A tentacle monster of vines burst out and snatched up the game, with Sanji swooping up Harley and pulling her safely aside.

Poison Ivy, Cheetah, Harley, and Clayface's eyes all bugged out as they realized the perverted man had crossed the distance faster than they could process.

Silence fell for a moment as tensions spiked across the room. Robin caught the ping-pong ball out of the air.

"Where's Luffy?" asked Usopp in a dead tone.

All Straw Hat's mobilized themselves to confirm their Captain was missing.

Which, frankly by this point, was _**embarrassing**_.

As in, bribing and coercing all witnesses to forget about all this so as to not tell anyone how they missed that _Luffy_ was off on his own!

Wait.

"Volcana and Maureen are gone too," declared Zoro, both eyes closed to focus on his Haki.

"But you haven't explored the rest of the base," pointed out Harley, shrugging out of Sanji's unresisting arms.

"No, he's right," agreed Sanji, which was shocking in itself. "They were planning a shopping trip."

Instantly the facts clicked together.

Nami shoved her hands under her shirt and between her breasts, and after some fidgeting, pulled out a bulky phone and dialed it. "Hello? Volcana?"

" _Hello_ ," came back the reply over the speaker phone. " _What's up?_ "

"Where are you!?" Usopp called out, with Franky's little toy easily picking him up.

" _In the car of course. Why else would you call the car phone?_ "

Holding up an imperious hand to her nakama, Nami retook control. "Is Luffy with you?"

" _Hey Nami!_ " Well, that answered that.

"Where are you?"

" _We're just pulling up at the mall now._ "

" _Just some shopping_ ," assured Volcana.

" _We're aren't having to turn around, are we?_ " a pleading younger voice broke in, quick enough on the uptake to see where this was going. Even Nami's resolve wavered before it. It was hard to put down the dreams of someone like Maureen. Especially since she was showing the strength to keep on moving despite what life had thrown at her. "Just. . ." she hesitated. "Just don't do anything that'll make the news."

With that said, she hung up before anyone could say something to jinx them all.

"Sooooo, we're not going after them?" clarified Brook.

"If they're already at the mall, it's already too late," groaned Nami into the palms of her hands. "And Volcana will take it as an insult if we run over."

"Eh, whatever happens, Luffy'll handle it," Zoro grunted. Probably.

"It would take the jet to get there fast enough anyways," pointed out Franky, "which would risk blowing our cover."

"So we stay and wait," Nami outright moaned with dread. "And later tonight we're giving everybody a full lecture on the Rules. Maybe with a test. Essay format."

 **!JUSTICE!**

Despite Nami's parting words, Volcana still felt vindicated by the faith they were showing in her. Oh, granted, Luffy's disguise was not going to win any Oscars. From out of nowhere he had pulled out a fake and oversized white mustache and beard get-up. Large, dark sunglasses, and a fedora of all things he had on top of his signature straw hat, which was hanging from its string on his back.

"Luffy—" she began with a pained voice at the amateur disguise attempt.

"Lucy."

"What?"

"Call me 'Lucy!'"

Well, it was not the _worst_ alias, but still. "Do you really think all that will keep people from figuring out who you are?"

He cocked his head as if in thought, before grinning again. "Yep! Worked before!"

She figured there was a story there. She also figured that it involved ludicrous amounts of property damage.

Well, alright, as ridiculous as he appeared, and certain to garner attention, there was no way to recognize him like this. Now it was just a matter of him keeping his big mouth shut, a responsibility she was more than ready to assist with.

With that happy thought, they all walked into the city's large supermall.

As they walked in, they missed the suddenly piercing attention by a man in a drab, grey trench coat as he studied Volcana's face for a second. Without missing a beat he looked away, and humming a pop tune, continued on his way to the parking lot.

He had a phone call to make.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Later

Nami of course had been the one to first push for the idea of helping build Maureen's self-confidence via shopping. Well, more specifically she had flipped through a psychologist textbook for the right terms, and phrased it as "an outgoing experience with simple, low-risk decisions in quick succession to reaffirm her confidence in her ability to act and chart her own life." While everyone else was trying to figure out what she had said, she, Robin, and Volcana, had slipped out with Maureen for a "practical demonstration."

Really, supposed to be laying low or not, Nami really, _really_ liked shopping. Volcana had to step in a few times to keep her from overwhelming the ice user, with stuff like trying to dress her up in all sorts of outfits the older teen picked out for her.

"Awwwww, I used up my allowanced already," whined Luffy, looking at his empty pouch.

Giggling, Maureen shook her head. "You spent it all on treats, silly! Were they good though?"  
"Oh yeah! Except not as good as Sanji's obviously."

"Obviously."

The younger woman only had a few purchases, and not only because they did not want to draw attention with a whole pile of them. She remained fairly frugal at this, even if she was collecting more and more stuff for herself. Although while she had tried to hide it, Volcana knew she had bought a few more picture frames. _Collecting pictures of us? Or maybe to give away as presents? Cute_.

Maureen's stomach rumbled. Immediately after, Luffy's took the cue to do the same, despite the candy he had been getting as they browsed along.

Glancing at her watch, she realized that yes, time really had flown by. "Time for lunch I guess," she smiled.

"Food! Food! Food!" Luffy eagerly chorused before spinning around to point in a specific direction. "Food court's thataway!"

Giggling some more, Maureen was both amused and impressed. "You always know where the food is, dontcha?"

"Of course! Besides, we still need to fill you up some more."

While Maureen was doing much better, she remained in her early teenage years, and thus her body demanded lots of food. While she was much healthier and well-fed since she had gotten off the streets, even Sanji's miracle recipes could not cure that damage overnight. Fortunately, Chopper was confident his treatments would keep her growth from being stunted.

Sticking out her tongue, "Well I'll just steal from Volcana's tray to help her cut back!"

"Hilarious," deadpanned the older woman. "I'll have you know I'm already back to my old trim self."

"Only because you worked yourself to the bone in the gym. An' don't think I didn't see you fighting to ignore Sanji's usual spread."

"Yep," nodded Luffy. "Cheetah and Harley were doing the same for some weird reason. Oh well, more for us!"

"Yeah!"

Smiling in resignation, Volcana could only shake her head. Although she dared not breathe a word to the other women, creating fire helped burn calories as well; if not fast enough for her satisfaction without regular exercise. "Just you two wait until you're older, and can't eat whatever you want anymore. Then you'll see what I mean."

She burst out laughing at the look of absolute horror plastered over Luffy's expression.

 **!JUSTICE!**

It was a fair-sized food court, with lots to offer. Made sense given how it was basically the only real mall in town.

Luffy loaded up his two trays with Chinese food, heavy on the meats. Maureen got a thick burger and fries, although she was nudged into getting a salad from a neighbouring vendor. The third member of the group chose Chinese as well, skipping on the sauces. She may or may not have also chosen some things she knew Maureen also liked, as an invitation to get a little extra to eat.

Out of habit, Volcana chose one of those tables that had both a booth and chairs. They sat in the booth with its back to the wall so no one could sneak up on them, and providing a view of everyone else. They deposited their purchases in the chairs, although the one opposite Luffy was empty so he could put his feet up on it (Sanji never let him do that). In unspoken agreement, Maureen was maneuvered into the center where they could protect her best.

Fortunately, Luffy showed some discretion, and did not scarf his meal down like usual, taking the time to savour it and eat it at a normal, Human pace. From the happy sounds he made, he obviously enjoyed the food. Although, Volcana suspected he would be content even with squirrels roasted on a skewer, as meat was meat for him, and all good things involved meat and 'nakama.'

Suddenly he cocked his head to the side as if in thought. "Hmmmmmm."

"What's wrong?"

". . . Nothing," he finally said, although he looked a little conflicted. "Maybe."

 **!JUSTICE!**

A sharply dressed man walked up to one of the food vendors, and politely ordered a tray full of food.

He paid in cash, and thanked them for the service, leaving the employees a little happier after their day.

 **!JUSTICE!**

Something caught the corner of her eye, her stomach dropping as she recognized mall cops calmly yet quietly urging people away from the food court.

"It's fine," Luffy grunted through a stuffed mouth.

Before she could demand an answer, someone stepped in front of their table. "Excuse me, may I sit here?"

Carrying two very full trays of food, was Superman.

Blue suit, and red cape and all.

"Sure," grinned Luffy.

"Thank you." Ignoring the heated glare Volcana was shooting him, while her plastic fork melted in her hand, he pulled back the chair in front of Luffy with a foot, and sat down in the empty chair in front of her boss. He selected two hot dogs and a drink from the pile, and pushed the rest towards Luffy. "Here. I bought extra 'cause I know from Flash how much you need to eat."

"Thanks!"

 **!JUSTICE!**

 **Author Notes:**

 **Thanks to David Drake and Sir Terry Pratchett, whose brilliant novels were also very helpful getting through some mental blocks.**

 **.**

 **Some changes were made to chapter 9 to flesh out Luffy's thoughts on what is happening to Gotham more.**

 **.**

 **In the comics, Myrto the Amazon was at one point one of Hippolyta's personal guard. Said bodyguards were imprisoned when in their fanaticism they tried to kill a baby Diana. Not really relevant to this story –I simply needed a name— yet putting this in for anyone who wondered why she sounded familiar.**

 **.**

 **The reference to how Batman's secret (and yes, illegal) surveillance system in the prison is why Star Sapphire was still in there, as opposed to being free for Luthor to recruit in the canon version of this episode.**

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 **Before anyone starts a debate on what House Luffy belongs to at Hogwarts, and goodness knows there are oodles of those on the internet, remember that this is not the opinion of us (semi)objective fans, but the Straw Hats' perception of him. Same for Zoro.**

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 **For those with good memories, yeah Nami's pscyho-babble about shopping is from** _ **Schlock Mercenary**_ **. Go read it if you are unfamiliar with the webcomic.**

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 _ **THIS STORY HAS A TVTROPES PAGE!**_

 _ **I AM SO VERY EXCITED AND HONOURED ABOUT IT, AND COLOSSAL THANKS TO DIGIXBOT!**_

 _ **www DOT tvtropes DOT org/pmwiki/pmwiki DOT php/Fanfic/Justice**_

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 **Next Chapter: 'Injustice for All, Part 4'**

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 **Please Review, and I will get back to you!**


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